


Unexpected

by wyomingparmesan



Category: The Loud House (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/F, F/M, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Teen Pregnancy, implied sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2019-05-09
Packaged: 2019-05-18 17:51:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 14
Words: 55,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14857404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wyomingparmesan/pseuds/wyomingparmesan
Summary: After a visit to the city, Lori discovers she is pregnant.





	1. A Typical Morning

_There are many miracles in life. Many of which are unexpected. They can change the people you love, and sometimes even give you someone new to love._

"Hey! Would you hurry up please!", Luna shouted as she banged on the bathroom door. "There are others who need to use the bathroom, dude".

Lori Loud sat on the seat of the toilet. In her hands, she held a small stick. She held it with nervous and shaking hands as she waited for the results. Ten minutes after having came into the bathroom, she sat there with a look of shock on her face.

The stick had two small lines that made a plus sign. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. " _So, it's positive…,"_ she thought to herself.

Lori was broken out of her thoughts by her siblings pounding on the door. She rubbed her temples as she heard the many moans and groans from outside the door.

She got up and went over to the garbage can next to the sink. She took the pregnancy test and wrapped it up in some toilet paper. Making sure to put it as deep into the garbage as possible.

Lori walked over to the door, and threw it open. She was greeted by eight of her siblings standing in line. "Okay, you can go ahead".

"It's about time", Luna said as she went into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

Lori had many thoughts going through her head.  _What am I going to do? What will I tell Bobby? What will I tell Mom and Dad?_

"Lori, are you okay?"

Lori looked over to see her little brother looking at her with a concerned face. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said comfortingly. "Don't worry about me".

Lincoln didn't think much of it, and shrugged his shoulders.

She turned the corner and went into her room that she shared with Leni. The girl was laying on her bed reading a magazine. She looked up when she noticed her older sister in the room. "Oh hey, Lori," she said looking up. "Are you feeling any better?".

Lori looked over to see her younger sister smiling at her. "Yeah", she responded.

"That's good to hear," Leni said as she went back to reading her magazine.

Lori hadn't been feeling so well lately. She was becoming more exhausted than usual, and was nauseous all the time. She thought maybe she had eaten something bad. Well, until a few minutes ago.

She went over to her bed, and rested her head on her pillow. She felt her phone vibrate, and pulled it out from under it. She squinted her eyes as she read the text on the screen.

_Hey Babe, I love you and I hope you feel better soon_

She smiled as her heart started to race. There was nothing like seeing your phone light up with a sweet text message from someone you love. She texted him back.

_Thank you so much, Boo Boo Bear. I love you too xoxo_

She hit send, and placed her phone on her heart. She and Bobby had been together for nearly a year now. They had met their junior year of high school, and were still dating as seniors.

He moved away to live with his big family a couple months ago. She rarely got to see him, but when the two were together, it was like no one else was around.

The two were inseparable. They hugged, and kissed, and made yearning eyes at each other whenever they were together.

Never would she have thought that she would be in this situation, but things could get pretty crazy between those two.

Her mind was flooded with thoughts from the last time they were together. How he kissed her gently on the lips. How she hugged him so tight he couldn't breathe.

Then came the thoughts from that night.

—

Lori and Lincoln had traveled three hours away to visit Bobby and Ronnie Anne. There was that feeling of relief when she saw him. His eyes met hers, and she knew she was home.

They spent the whole day together. She helped him out in the bodega, while Lincoln was with Ronnie Anne. While no one was looking, they would tease each other.

He would playfully slap her butt, while she would bend down to pick up something, making sure her breasts showed through her shirt.

It didn't take long for them to get the message.

Later that night, Lori made her way to Bobby's room. She knew he wasn't asleep yet, and so she slipped into his bed.

They weren't planning on it, but they could tell by each other's eyes that they wanted it. They knew in their hearts that they did.

It was amazing. Lori had never felt such a sensation before. It was as if her body was floating. She saw him in a way she never had before. All while trying their best to not wake up anyone.

She slept peacefully that night, right on his chest. The sounds of his snores calmed her down. She didn't think of what would happen if they got caught, and she didn't seem to care.

All that mattered was that they had come together.

—

Lori had fallen asleep during her thoughts. She woke up to her sister shaking her awake.

"Lori! Lori!," said Leni as she tried to wake up her sister.

Lori opened her eyes to see Leni staring at her. She sat up and wiped the drool off her mouth.

"Mom says it's time to come down for dinner".

"Tell her I'll be down in a minute".

"Okay!", Leni said as she happily skipped out of the room.

Lori got up and went over to the mirror hanging on the door. She looked down at her flat stomach. The thought that it wouldn't be like that for much longer was scary to her. She sighed softly as she stared at herself in the mirror. She made her way to the door and headed downstairs to the dining room.

The rest of the family was already seated at the table. Lily was in her high chair, and the twins were busy fighting over a piece of chicken. She took her seat, which was between Leni and Lincoln.

They smiled as they saw her older sister finally sit down. "Hey Lori," Lincoln said as he put a spoonful of mashed potatoes in his mouth.

"Hi Linc," she said. "What's for dinner?"

"Fried chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy," her dad answered as he handed the plate of food to her.

Normally, the food would've looked and smelled so good to her, but she gagged as soon as it hit her nose.

She jumped up from the table, and ran to the bathroom. The rest of the family watched with utter confusion.

"Mommy, what's wrong with Lori?", Lola asked.

"She hasn't been feeling well lately, sweetie," Rita said. "Probably has a stomach bug".

"She'd better not give it to me," Lynn said. "I have a soccer championship this week".

Lincoln put his spoon down and got up from the table. "I'll go check on her," he said as he headed towards the stairs.

He could hear the sounds of Lori vomiting from the top of the stairs. He frowned as he prepared to comfort his sister.

Lincoln went to the closed door and knocked on it. "Lori? Are you okay?"

Lori sighed as she heard her brother's voice from behind the door. The thought of saying "No, I'm not fine" crossed her mind, but she didn't want to worry him. She gathered up enough strength to make it over to the door.

She opened it to see Lincoln staring at her with a worried look on his face. "Don't worry about me, Linc," she told him. "I'm fine. Just, haven't been feeling well".

Lincoln had the feeling that something else was up, but didn't question it. "Oh…okay," he said as he looked down at his feet. "I'll get you some ginger ale".

She put her hand on his shoulder. "You're too sweet, Lincoln," she said with a smile. "Now go finish your food".

Lincoln nodded and headed back downstairs. Lori's expression changed as soon as he was out of her sightline.  _I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this from them..._

—

Doing chores is a necessity in any household. Without them, we would live in pigsties. Lincoln Loud's chore was to clean up the garbage.

He spent hours of each day changing the bags in various garbage cans, and picking up candy wrappers off the floor. It was a dirty job, but he didn't mind it as he knew none of his sisters would want to do it. Well, except maybe for Lana.

Lincoln had made his way through every room so far, even the dreaded diaper pail. He threw the bag of garbage over his shoulder and proceeded into the bathroom. He picked up the bag from the can by the sink. Before he could pour it all in though, something caught his eye.

He pulled out a wad of toilet paper, and unwrapped it. Lincoln stood there, holding the stick in his hand, his mouth agape. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Thoughts ran through his head of who it could belong to.  _Is it Mom? Am I going to be a big brother again? No, she said she couldn't have any more after Lily. Then, who?_

His eyes went wide as he made the sudden realization. He managed to put the pieces together. Lincoln was smart. He knew this was a sensitive situation, and didn't want to abruptly question her about it.

He put the test into the garbage bag without hesitation. He needed time to gather his thoughts and come up with a plan. He finished taking the garbage out and headed up to his room.

—

It was finally bedtime in the Loud house. The only time it was peaceful. Lori had an eventful day, and she honestly just wanted it to be over.

She was laying in her bed, cell phone in hand as she checked her latest messages.

There was a post on Facebook, from one of her classmates. She was announcing her pregnancy.

Lori immediately exited out of the app. She couldn't bear to see someone being so happy about something that she knew she would be scolded for. The thought of telling her parents was scary, let alone her hundreds of classmates.

Just as she was about to turn off the lamp and go to sleep, she heard the door open. In walks Lincoln, holding a cup filled with iced liquid.

"I figured you might want to drink some ginger ale before bed," he whispered as to not wake Leni.

Lori reached over and ruffled his hair. "What did I do to deserve a little brother like you?", she asked playfully as she took the cup from his hands. "Thanks Lincoln".

"No problem, sis," he said. "Though, I did want to ask you something".

"Sure, what is it?"

"You know how you always tell me that we can be honest with each other, right?"

She nodded. "Of course".

He hesitated for a moment. "I love you Lori, and you know I'll never be mad at you, right?"

"I love you too, Lincoln", she said as she took a sip of her ale. "Now what is it that you wanted to ask me?"

"I…I-I found something in the trash today, in the bathroom," he said softly. "I wanted to know if it belonged to you".

Lori was taken aback by his words. She thought that she had hidden it well enough so that no one would find it. She couldn't lie anymore. It hurt to lie to him before, but now she knew she had no choice.

She sat the cup on the bedside table, and sat up so that she was right by Lincoln's face.

"If I tell you the truth, do you promise not to tell anyone?"


	2. Science & Sisters

Lincoln sat there for a moment and took in his sister's question. He had always been one to keep secrets that his sisters passed on to him, but this was serious.

He saw the look in her eyes. That look of desperation. That's what helped him make up his mind. He took his hand, and put it on top of hers.

"Of course, I promise Lori", he said softly.

She smiled at his response, and sighed. "Yes", she whispered. "It is mine".

Lincoln took a moment to take in what she had just said. He wasn't angry, just shocked. He never thought he'd get to be an uncle so soon.

"When did this happen?", he asked.

"A few weeks ago," she said. "When we went to visit the Casagrandes".

"I see", he said. "Are you gonna tell Mom and Dad?"

Lori sat up straight on her pillow. She didn't have a solid answer yet. On one hand, she wanted to keep it a secret as long as she possibly could. The other though, it would be helpful for them to know because she could get advice. They would find out sooner or later anyway.

"Not right now", she told him. "I need to figure out a way to do it".

He took his hand and put it on top of hers. "Whatever you do, sis, I'll be here", he said with a smile.

"Thank you, Lincoln", she said as she gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Now go get some rest".

Lincoln nodded and headed out to his room.

Lori reached over and took a few sips of the ginger ale, then turned out the light. She looked over at Leni, who was still sleeping. Listening to the sounds of her soft snores was always relaxing. She slid down to lay on her pillow and pulled the covers up to her neck.

She fell asleep feeling the little butterflies in her stomach.

* * *

Lincoln had a bit of trouble sleeping that night. He couldn't help but worry about his older sister.

Part of him was excited for the new addition to the family. The other was nervous for her as it would be a long journey ahead.

All of him though, knew that he would help her along the way.

He was hoping that the baby would be a boy. He imagined all the things that they could do together. It would be nice to have another boy in the house.

He would show him all his comic books, and teach him how to play video games.

Even if it was a girl, he would love her just as much.

It was going to be hard keeping this secret, but he knew he could do it.

That was his first job of being a good uncle.

* * *

Morning soon came, and it wasn't long before the Loud house was up and bustling again.

The twins had come downstairs first to see who could get the toy out of the new cereal box. Then came Luan who was trying out some new breakfast themed jokes. Lynn was cheering the twins on as they fought over the toy. Lisa was taking notes of it. Luna decided to take a thirty-minute shower while Leni waited outside trying to pop a zit on her face. Lucy had decided to spend the day in the vents, and Lincoln was taking care of Lily.

Lori wanted to sleep in, but woke up to a call from Bobby.

"Hey Babe, I know it hasn't been long since you and Little Loud visited, but do you think you guys could come this weekend?"

Lori thought for a moment. This could be the perfect opportunity to tell him. "I will talk to my parents about it, and let you know okay?"

"I'll be looking forward to it. Love you".

That was one phrase that made her heart flutter. "Love you too, Boo Boo Bear", she said as she told him goodbye and hung up the phone.

She heard some noise from the hallway.

"Finally!", Leni shouted at Luna, who was coming out of the bathroom. "I like need to get this awful thing off my face.

"Hey, chill out sis", Luna said. "It's not that bad".

Leni didn't have time to disagree as she grabbed the doorknob and ran into the bathroom to use the mirror.

Luckily, she left the door unlocked as Lori felt the morning sickness creeping up again. She jolted out of bed and ran into the bathroom, letting it loose in the toilet.

Leni looked over at her sister with surprise and worry. She walked over to her and rubbed her back. "Oh no, Lori", Leni said with concern. "You must have an awful stomach bug".

Lori reached up and grabbed a tissue to wipe her face. "Yeah, I think so too", she told her. "Thanks Leni".

"Don't worry about it", Leni said. "I think Dad is cooking breakfast. We should go eat".

Despite her stomach refusing dinner last night, eggs and bacon sounded really good right now.

As they headed towards the stairs, they met up with Lincoln, who was holding Lily. She noticed her older sisters and started to clap her hands.

"Ori! Eni!"

Leni reached out and gave her a hug. "Good morning, sunshine!", she said. "Good morning to you too, Linky".

"Hi Leni, Lori", Lincoln said. He pointed to Lily's outfit. "You see this? This took fifteen minutes. She kept taking off her diaper, then her pants. Then decided she was going to throw the entire pack of wipes across the room".

He sounded exhausted, yet entertained. "I could never be a parent. Too tiring".

Leni patted him on the head. "It's okay, Linky", she said. "One day when you're older, you might want to have a baby of your own".

Lily started to pull Lincoln's hair, and he swatted her hands away. "I doubt it", he said as he shrugged his shoulders and went downstairs.

Leni looked over at her big sister. "He says that now, but he totes is going to marry Ronnie Anne one day. Just like how you're going to marry Bobby".

Lori took in what she had just said. "Oh yes, you literally know it", she told her. "Now let's get food, I'm literally starving".

The two girls headed downstairs to eat breakfast with their family. Meanwhile, Leni's words were stuck in the back of her mind.

"See, you can both share it", Luna told the twins as they both took turns with the toy.

She stood back and smiled as she watched them play together at the table.

Lynn Sr came out of the kitchen holding multiple plates of food. He greeted his kids as he started to place them on the table.

"Good morning girls, and Lincoln", he said.

"Good morning, Dad", Lori said as she sat down at the table.

"Are you feeling any better today, honey?", he asked as he gave her a plate.

"Yeah, I'm really hungry".

"Good to hear!", he said. "I made lots of scrambled eggs and bacon. I can even make some pancakes if you want".

"That literally sounds amazing", Lori said. "I'll take some".

"Alright, I'll be back soon", Lynn Sr said as he headed back to the kitchen.

"Gosh, Lori", Leni said with wide eyes. "I didn't think you were that hungry".

She hesitated for a moment. "I…I got my appetite back", she said as she took a piece of bacon off her plate. "I haven't been eating much lately".

"Would you like to go to the mall with me later?", Leni asked her. "There's like a sale going on and I totes have to get a new dress".

"Yeah, we can literally do that".

"Here you go honey", Lynn Sr said as he sat the stack of pancakes on the table. "I made blueberry because I know you really love those".

"Thanks Dad"

"No problem"

Lisa sat at the end of the table, and watched as Lori ate the large amount of food. She took out her notebook and wrote something down.

"What is that, Lisa?", Lana asked.

"Nothing of your concern"

"Are you gonna eat that?", Lana asked as she pointed to a piece of bacon on her plate.

"Take it, I have ingested enough of this greasy concoction for one day", Lisa said as she continued to take notes.

"Thanks Lis!", she shouted as she reached over to her plate.

Lisa then got up from the table, and went up to her room.

* * *

Soon after breakfast, Lori and Leni headed off to the mall.

Royal Woods Mall was the main hangout spot for teens all over the city. Leni visited there so often that most of the store workers recognized her as soon as she came in.

"Leni darling!", exclaimed an older man as he greeted her at the door.

"Hey Morris!", Leni yelled as she greeted him. They kissed each other on the cheeks. "Mwah, mwah"

"Are you here to check out the new collection that just came in?"

She nodded. "Yes! I brought my sister, Lori along too".

Morris went over to Lori and kissed her hand. "A pleasure to meet you darling".

Lori giggled. "The pleasure is mine".

Morris went over to an area in the store. There was a rack filled with clothes ranging from shirts to dresses and accessories.

"Omgosh", Leni said as she saw the rack. "These are like totes amazing".

"Would you like to try on some my dear Leni?", he asked.

"Of course!"

Leni walked over to the rack and picked our three outfits. She headed over to the dressing rooms to try them on.

Lori followed, and found herself a seat right outside the dressing room.

Soon after, Leni came out wearing a blue dress with white boots. She had a white headband in her hair.

"How do I look?", she asked Lori.

"You look beautiful"

Leni smiled as she closed the door. A few minutes later she came out again. This time, she wore a green button up shirt with no sleeves, and a matching pencil skirt.

"That one is literally my fave", Lori told her.

"It's totes adorable", Leni said. "Okay now for the last one".

The last outfit was a pink sundress. She wore white sandals and a sunhat to go with it.

"Which one do you like the best?", Leni asked as she posed in front of the mirror.

"All of them"

"But Lori", Leni said. "We don't have the money".

"I'll buy them", she said. "It's my treat".

Leni ran over and gave her a hug. "You don't have to do that for me, but it means a lot that you will".

Lori smiled as she patted her on the back. "It's the least I can do for my little sister slash best friend".

Leni let go of her and looked her in the eyes. "You…call me your best friend?"

"Of course. I mean, I literally have Whitney, and Becky, and those other girls we hang out with", she said. "But, none of them will ever replace you, Leni".

Leni smiled at her sister, and hugged her again. Lori returned it this time.

After purchasing their items, they headed over to the food court to get some food.

Lori has once again let her cravings get the best of her, and ordered a lot of food.

"Wow, Lori", Leni said as she put a French fry in her mouth. "You like have been eating all day".

"Yeah, I'm not sure what it is, but I have literally been so hungry"

The girls laughed and finished their food.

"Oh, one last thing before we leave", Leni said. "Mom asked me to go over to the baby store and pick up something for Lily".

"What is it?"

"Lily like has a playdate coming up, and Mom wants her to have a new outfit so we get to pick it out".

There was something oddly convenient about this situation. Lori had thought about sneaking away to buy her own baby things, as this would be a good time to do so and not have to give an explanation.

"I'm sure we can find something for her"

They entered the store, which was named "Babies and Tots Galore". They headed over to Lily's size, the fifteen-month-old section.

Leni held up two onesies. "Hey, do you like these?"

One was purple, while the other was pink.

"I think she'd look cute in the purple one"

"Purple it is"

While Leni looked for more clothes for Lily, Lori headed over to the newborn section.

She walked up and down the aisles and watched as many expectant mothers shopped as well.

There were a few things that caught her eye. They had onesies with funny sayings on them like "You ain't cool unless you pee your pants". While others were cute and simple and had things like "Daddy's girl".

She took a few off the shelf and put them in her shopping bag.

"Are you expecting?", said a woman who was visibly pregnant.

Lori jumped as she heard the voice ask her a question.

"Excuse me?"

"I was asking if you were pregnant too"

Lori looked down at her feet. "Y-yeah I am…"

"You're awfully young, and you're probably scared"

"I just found out yesterday", Lori told her. "My parents don't even know yet".

The woman looked at her sympathetically. "Bless your heart", she said. "I wish you good luck and a healthy pregnancy".

"Thanks so much"

"You're welcome, sweetie"

Lori watched as she walked away. It was still new and strange to her. To think that in eight or so months, she'll be a mom.

"Lori!"

She turned around to see Leni standing near her. "Oh hey", she said. "Are you ready to go?"

Leni nodded as she held up two bags. "Totes"

Lori shook her head as she laughed. "Same old Leni", she said to herself.

* * *

Lisa sat at her desk, studying her notebook. There wasn't much that you could hide from Lisa Loud. When it came to science, she was all ears. She always seems to know when someone in the household is sick, and likes to use their germs as research material.

The young scientist had noticed something was off with Lori in the past couple weeks. She wasn't sure what it was. At first, she thought it may just be a normal stomach bug that usually comes around the house twice a year. That thought left her mind recently though, as she noticed no one else had gotten it.

She was known to take samples of bodily fluids from her family members to use as research material. Her siblings found it annoying, but she insisted it would help them later on.

Lisa looked over at the test tubes sitting by her desk. She took one that had a yellow liquid in it, and put some on a cotton swab. She dipped it into a beaker filled with a blue substance, and watched as it turned purple.

"Interesting", she said as she wrote something down in her notes.

"Poo poo?", Lily babbled as she looked over at her sister.

"Not to worry youngest sibling", Lisa told her. "Everything will be just fine".

* * *

"Almost done"

"Stay still please"

"Aaaand~ "

"There!"

Lori and Leni stood over Lily as they put on her new outfit, a purple dress. The infant was squirming around, but seemed to be happy nonetheless. Leni picked her up, and put her on her hip.

"Who is a cutie?", Leni asked playfully as she tickled Lily. She watched as the baby giggled with delight. "You're such a good baby".

Lily began to yawn.

"Oh, looks like someone is ready for a nap", Leni said. "I'll go put her down, and then we can go through the rest of her clothes".

Lori nodded and grabbed the bags to put them on her bed. She took the bag with the onesies she had bought and began to take them out. She loved how soft they were. How tiny. She couldn't believe that in a few months she'll have a baby that could fit into them.

"Lily is asleep!", Leni said as she walked in the room. She noticed Lori with the onesie. "What's that, Lori?"

Lori was stuck. She knew she could just lie to Leni and that she would believe it, but she also wanted to be honest with her. Leni was not only her sister, but also one of her best friends.

Leni picked one up. "I don't think Lily could fit into this".

Lori sighed. "That's because…itsnotforLily"

"What was that?"

"T-they're not for Lily, Leni"

Leni was confused now. "I don't get it".

"Sit down, Leni. There's something I need to tell you".

Leni complied and sat down next to her sister.

Lori had to think of the simplest way to tell Leni. She knew Leni wasn't dumb, but sometimes it was hard for her to understand.

"Those onesies aren't for Lily", Lori said. She felt as though she has a giant knot in her throat. "They're…for my baby".

Leni was even more confused. "But Lori", Leni said, scratching her head. "You don't have a baby".

"Not yet"

"Lori can you please like tell me what this is about?"

Lori grabbed her sister's hand and looked her in the eyes. "Leni, I'm pregnant".

Leni was a bit taken aback, then it hit her. "You're…pregnant?"

"Yes, Leni. I'm going to have a baby"

Lori could see the worry in her sister's eyes. "Don't we need to like tell Mom and Dad?"

"No, er I mean, not yet anyway"

"I think we should"

"Leni, please", Lori said in desperate tone. "You have to keep this a secret for now".

Leni blinked. It was often hard for her to keep secrets. She always felt that everyone needed to know what was going on, especially when it was their birthday. This was serious though and Leni could tell be her sister's face that she needed to do her best to keep this a secret.

"I will try my best, Lori", Leni said. "I also want you to know that I'm here for you sis".

Lori smiled and pulled Leni into a hug.

"You too, Leni", Lori said as she hugged Leni harder. "Always".

"I'm totes so excited to be an aunt!", Leni said. "Your baby will be like so fashionable, I'll make sure of it".

Lori chuckled. "Never change, Leni".


	3. Lisa’s Discovery

It had been four days since Lori discovered that she was pregnant. So far, the only people who knew were Lincoln and Leni. She knew that she would have to tell the rest of her family eventually, but she just didn't know how. Though to know that she had two of her siblings in the know was very comforting.

Lincoln would come by before bed to check on her, and though she appreciated it, she could see the concern in his eyes. Lincoln was known for always making sure his sisters were taken care of. This was one situation where it was out of his hands though.

Leni was a different story. She was doing very well at keeping the secret, and would only mention it while they were alone.

Lori slowly pulled the covers off of her, and got out of bed. Leni yawned and sat up in her bed.

"Good morning, Lori"

Lori looked over at her sister. "Good morning, Leni"

"How are you feeling?", Leni asked as she started to get out of bed.

"I think the morning sickness is starting to go away", Lori said, relieved. "I just can't help but worry about the baby".

Leni frowned. "Are you sure you don't want to tell Mom and Dad?"

Lori shook her head. "No, not yet", she said. "I need to figure out something first".

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Lori walked over to it. "Who is it?"

"It is Lisa, dear oldest sister"

Lori opened the door, to see Lisa standing there wearing a lab coat and gloves.

"What do you want?"

"I am in need of your assistance"

Lori rolled her eyes. "Sure"

Lori followed as Lisa led her down the hall to her room.

She stepped inside the room, and next to Lily's crib was a machine. There were some test tubes on the desk, along with a clipboard.

Lisa closed the door and gestured for Lori to sit down on the bed.

"What is this?", Lori asked, confused.

"You will see", Lisa said as she jumped onto her stool and grabbed the clipboard.

She scooted over to Lori. "I have noticed some…changes in you lately"

Lori froze. "W-what kinda changes?"

Lisa flipped through her papers. "Fatigue, nausea, food aversion, cravings, slight bloating, and you haven't had a menstrual period in over a month".

"L-Lisa I-I-"

"Say no more, eldest sister", Lisa said. "I have taken samples of you urine as well, and I have come to a conclusion".

Lori raised an eyebrow.

"You have a human embryo developing in your uterus at approximately seven weeks gestation", Lisa said. "Street name, you are pregnant!"

Lori wasn't sure whether to be relieved or upset. She should've known that Lisa would find out on her own. She's always doing experiments, and taking her family's waste material. Lisa sounded as though she was excited, though she couldn't help but have the thought that Lisa wanted to use her for something.

"Lisa, I know", Lori said as she looked Lisa in the eyes.

Lisa was a bit taken aback. "Hmm, I see. I figured you were intelligent enough to figure it out on your own. You know your body and intercourse habits more than anyone, even me".

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Lisa shrugged. "I've known for some time that you and Bobby have had intercourse, unprotected I might add".

Lori was scowling. "Why the hell is that any of your business?"

"Calm down, sister", Lisa said as she put her hands above her head. "I like to keep a log of these things, they're all confidential of course".

Lori sighed. "Okay, I'm sorry", she said. "It's those hormones, ya know?"

Lisa nodded. "Indeed", she said as she jumped down from her stool and walked over to the machine. "Now, for the reason I needed you here".

"Is that what I think it is?"

Lisa nodded. "It is an ultrasound machine", she said. "With these we have the ability to look at several areas inside the body, including the female reproductive system. Now, just lie down".

Lori complied, and laid back so that her head was on the pillow. Lisa scooted the machine over to the bed, and got back on her stool.

She pulled up Lori's shirt ever so slightly to reveal her stomach, which had a very small, but somewhat noticeable bump.

Lisa turned on the machine, and it hummed to life. She took out a blue bottle filled with petroleum jelly and squirted some on Lori's belly.

She jumped a bit. "That's cold"

"I know", Lisa said as she put down the bottle, and reached for the probe.

She put the probe on Lori's stomach and swirled it around.

"Hmm", Lisa said as she looked at the screen. "Yep, just as I thought".

Lori looked at her. "Can I see?"

Lisa reached up and turned the screen to her. The screen showed a black and white image. You could see a black spot that looked like a big hole. Inside, was a small white blob.

"See this?", Lisa asked as she pointed at the blob. "That's the baby".

Lori was speechless. It was taking a bit to take it all in. Once she realized it though, she felt a few tears escape her eyes. "That's a baby? That's my baby".

That was it. It finally dawned on her that she was having a baby. She was going to be a mom, Bobby would be a dad. That little blob on the screen, would become a human being in about thirty-three weeks. That was her baby.

Lisa smiled a bit as she saw her sister's reaction. "I can assure you that the fetus is developing well", Lisa told her. "It's still too early to know the sex".

"That's fine. I literally don't care what it is"

Lisa put the probe away and wiped the jelly off of Lori's stomach. She printed out the photos and handed them to her.

Lori stared at them, and she could feel her heart flutter.

"Now that we got that out of the way", Lisa said as she climbed up on the bed and sat next to Lori. "Can I be the first to hold the baby? Please?!"

Lori smiled as she ruffled her younger sister's hair. "I'm sure all you will get to hold them. They'll be lucky to have so many aunts and an uncle who love them".

Lisa started squealing. "Eee! I can't wait to be an aunt!"

Lori laughed as she watched her sister start bouncing up and down. "Okay but Lisa, you know you can't tell anyone, right?", Lori said with a stern face. "I really want to be the one to tell them".

Lisa stopped bouncing and adjusted her glasses. "Ahem, you know that I am not the best at keeping secrets, seeing as my brain is far too advanced to hold such tomfoolery", Lisa said. "However, I know the serious nature of this secret and the consequences that will come from it if I were to reveal it, so I will try my best".

Lori smiled. "That's all I'm asking", she said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some other things to attend to".

"Of course, dear sister".

Lisa waited until Lori left the room and closed the door. She went over to Lily's crib, and was greeted by a Lily who just woke up from her nap. "Lily guess what?"

"Poo?"

"We're going to be aunties!"

Lily didn't quite understand what she was talking about, but she saw the excitement on her sister's face, and decided to giggle and clap her hands.

"Sha sha!"

* * *

Later that day, the family was eating lunch. Lori was trying to figure out a way to tell her other sisters about her secret.

I think I'll save Lucy and the twins for last. Lily won't care either because she has no idea what's going on. Luna, Luan, and Lynn do deserve to know though.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear her mom calling her name.

"What is it, Mom?", she asked.

"You haven't eaten much", Rita said as she handed Lily a bite of food. "Are you feeling any better?"

Lori took a bite of her salad. "Yeah, I'm fine".

"Alright, sweetie", her mom said as she turned back to Lily. "You want another bite?"

Lily giggled as she reached her hands out for the small piece of ham sandwich. She grabbed it in her small hands, and put it into her mouth. She smiled after she swallowed it, and reached her hands out for more.

Rita smiled and patted the baby on the head. "You're such a good girl", she said as she kissed Lily's head.

Lori smiled as she watched the encounter. It was strange to think in a few months, she would be doing the exact same thing her parents have for the past seventeen years. The Loud house has had many babies, eleven to be exact, and it was something they all got used to. All of the diapers, the messes, the late night crying, it was something they had all grown used to. There was one thing that was different though. They had parents who took care of that.

Neither Lori, nor her siblings ever had to worry about taking care of a baby. Sure they would help out when they could tell that their parents were exhausted and busy, but those were still their babies.

Babies aren't all bad though. She could remember all of the times when her siblings were little. All of the hugs, the kisses, the cuddles, those were what mattered. She had early memories of a baby laying on her chest.

She would watch as her eyes fluttered as she tried to fall asleep. She little hands would grab the fabric of her shirt. A trail of drool coming out of her mouth as she dreamed. Lori would smile as rubbed her soft, brown hair. She would caress her back as she gave her kisses. She could feel her eyes fluttering as she too fell asleep.

Lori could feel the wide smile run across her face as she poked at her salad. The feeling of taking care of someone, the feeling that you have someone who needs you, that was the best feeling.

She was broken out of her thoughts by the sound of Lily fussing. She stood up and walked over to her high chair.

"I'll take her, Mom"

Lori picked Lily up and tried to shush her. "It's okay, Lily shhh", she said as she bounced her up and down on her hip.

Lily was squealing and swatting at Lori's face. Lori grabbed her hand and began giving it kisses.

"Look, this is my hand now", she said. "What is it that you want, huh?"

Lily began to suck her thumb.

"Oh, I see"

She took Lily and headed up the stairs. They turned right, and went into Lisa and Lily's room. There she saw what she was looking for.

It was a lilac pacifier, laying on the side table. They walked over to it, and Lori picked up. As soon as Lily saw it, she started reaching for it, whining still.

Lori put the pacifier into Lily's mouth, and she stopped crying.

"All better now, huh sweet girl?"

Lily motioned to be let down. Lori say her down on the floor, and she began toddling around the room.

She went over to the table next to Lisa's bed and grabbed her toy keys.

"Ga ga ga", she babbled as she reached her hand up to Lori.

"Are these for me?"

She nodded.

Lori grabbed them from her. "Thank you", she said as she patted her on the head.

Lily sat down on the floor and yawned.

"Oh, I think someone is ready for a nap"

Lori picked her up, and Lily laid her head in Lori's neck.

"Ori lala"

Lori took her hand and cradled Lily. She began gently rocking her and walking around the room. She heard her whimper softly.

"It's okay, Lily", she whispered. "I'm here"

It wasn't long before Lily has drifted off to sleep. Lori took her and gently put her down in her crib.

She covered her with her blankie, and laid her teddy bear right beside her. She leaned over and kissed her on the head.

"Sleep tight, Lily"

She turned out the light and closed the door slowly behind her. She began to head back downstairs.

"Where's Lily?", asked her mom as she was picking up the dirty dishes.

"I got her to go down for a nap"

Rita nodded her head. "I'm impressed", she said. "You know, you really don't have to help us with her, but your father and I really enjoy the help".

"It's no problem really", Lori said, waving her hand. "She's such a good baby".

"She really is", her mom said. "I wish all of you had been the same way".

"Oh really?"

She nodded. "Oh yes", Rita said. "Sometimes it was hard to get you down for a nap. You liked to fight it".

Lori laughed. She was a bit curious now. "Which one of us was the hardest?"

Rita stopped to think for a moment. "Well, I would say you, but that was probably because you were our first".

Lori hit her arm, playfully. "Hey!"

Rita laughed. "Oh you know I'm only teasing", she said. "Now let me think…"

"You all had things that made you a good baby, I don't really think any of you were bad. Though there were times when you just cry and cry, and we had no idea what to do. I think those are moments that no parent is ready for"

Lori stood there for a moment. "Do you sometimes wish that all of us were babies again?"

"Honestly, yes and no", Rita said as she sat the pile of plates down. "I loved having babies, but I really like having children who can take care of themselves. Lily will probably be our last baby, and it's weird to think that in a year or so we won't have anymore babies in our house".

Lori bit her lip. "Yeah, it will be weird…"

"Well, finish your salad so we can do these dishes"

"Alright"

Rita headed into the kitchen, while Lori went back to the table to finish her food. She thought about how she could've just told her right then, but she knew she needed more time.

Though, their discussion did give her an idea on how to tell her three younger sisters.

* * *

Lori made her way back to her room, and sat the dusty box in the floor. She opened it, and took a few books out of the box. There was one book that stood out to her. She picked it up and flipped through the pages. Before sitting it down, she picked up a pen and wrote something on one of pages. She slipped a piece of paper in it, and went across the hall to Luna and Luan's room. She could already hear the loud music from inside the room. She knocked loudly.

"LUNA! ITS LORI!"

The music stopped, and the sounds of footsteps could be heard. Luna opened up the door.

"What is it, brah?"

"Where's Luan?"

"She's downstairs, why?"

"Well, I kinda wanted to have a sibling meeting right now"

"Oh, well then I'll get the rest-"

Lori held up her hands to stop her. "No no, I only need you and Luan, and Lynn"

Luna raised an eyebrow. "Uhh, okay", she said. "I'll get Luan then"

Lori patted her on the arm. "Thanks sis".

Luna headed downstairs, and Lori went to the next door, and knocked.

The door opened, and Lori jumped as she saw a soccer ball fly by her head.

"Aaaaa!", she screamed as she ducked.

Lynn poked her head out the door. "She shoots, she scores!"

She ran out the door and down the stairs. She picked up her ball and ran back up the stairs.

"Sorry about that, Lori", she said as she wiped the sweat off of her forehead. "I was practicing my kicks and went a little too hard".

"It's okay, sis", Lori said. "I'm holding a meeting in my room in a few"

"What for?"

"You'll see, now come on"

Lynn shrugged as she followed Lori down the hall to her and Leni's room.

They entered the room to see Leni on her bed, as well as Luna and Luan.

Lynn took a seat on Lori's bed, while Lori went up to her podium. She took off one of her shoes and banged it on the podium.

"I call this sibling to order", Lori said.

Luna raised her hand.

"Yes, Luna?"

"Why are we here?"

"Yeah, and why are all of our childhood photo albums sitting on your bed?", Luan asked.

"I'm glad you guys asked", Lori said as she started walking towards her bed. "I was thinking about how the five of us never spend time together anymore. We used to be our own little gang when we were younger, and now we're always doing our own things".

"So today, I wanna change that", Lori said as she sat down next to Lynn. "So today, this meeting is about spending time together. I went up to the attic and found all of our photo albums from when we were kids. When it was just the five of us".

The other four girls looked at each other and shrugged. Each girl grabbed a photo album and sat down on the floor in a circle.

"Aw, look at this", Luna said as she pointed to a page. "This was when Luan was born".

Luna held up the photo for everyone to see.

"We were both so tiny", Luan said.

"I got to hold you first because I became a big sister".

"Oh, I like this one", Lynn said. "When I got a t-ball set for Christmas".

"You're hat was too big for your head", Lori said as she looked at the picture.

"Oh! I remember this one", Leni said as she showed them the photo. "When we went to the park with Pop Pop".

"You mean the geyser?", Luna asked.

"Aww look at how small we were", Luan said. "I think Mom was pregnant with Lincoln then".

"Oh yeah, speaking of Lincoln", Lynn started. "Should we invite him to join too? He's in a lot of these".

Lori thought for a moment. "Hmm no", she said. "I just wanted to spend time with you guys. Besides, I think he's in there trying out his new game and doesn't want to be disturbed".

"Ah okay", Lynn said.

An hour or so went by, as they all sat there looking at their photos.

"Man, these were some good times", Luna said.

"They really were", Luan said. "I'm just glad that Mom and Dad were here to take pictures of it all".

The girls nodded in agreement.

Lori looked to her side and saw another album laying there, one that hadn't been touched.

"Hey, Luna why don't you, Luan, and Lynn look at this one?", Lori said as she held it out to Luna.

"Uh sure, thanks", Luna said as she grabbed it.

Luan and Lynn scooted in next to Luna, so that they were on each of her sides.

It was just like the other ones, filled with pictures of the kids when they were little. There was something different about this one though. It was a book where their mom had wrote about each of her pregnancies. There were her symptoms, updates from each week, even little pictures of their ultrasounds.

"Oh wow, I don't think I remember this one", Luna said as she flipped through the pages.

"Look, there's me", Lynn said, pointing to a page. There was an ultrasound photo that showed a fetus at about twenty weeks. It has an arrow pointing to it that said "I'm a girl".

She began to read some of the things on the page. "I'm about thirty weeks today. Lynn is still shocked that we're having another girl, he really wanted a boy. We're not sure what her name is yet, but he's still trying to convince me to name her after him. We'll see".

Lynn laughed. "I see that Dad won that time", she said with a smirk. "Good job"

They continued to look at the pages until they got to Lily. They noticed something though. There was a page after Lily's that had been filled out.

"Whoa wait a second", Luna said. "Is Mom pregnant again?!"

Lori shook her head. "Keep looking"

The three girls took a closer look at the page. It looked like the other pages. There were little details, and even an ultrasound photo to go with it.

"Look at how tiny this baby is", Lynn said. "You can hardly see it".

"This isn't Mom's handwriting either", Luan said. She began to read the writing on the page. "I'm seven weeks today, apparently. It's still so surreal to me, that I'm pregnant and going to be a Mom. I'm not sure how my family will take it, but I know that they're probably reading this right now. Congrats, you're going to be an aunt. Signed-"

They all looked up "Lori?", they said simultaneously.

Lori looked at them. "Surprise?"

The three sat there for a moment, trying to take it all in.

"W-wait, w-when did this all happen?", Luan asked.

"How long have you known this?", Luna asked.

"Holy smokes, you're pregnant?", Lynn asked.

Lori held up her hands. "Whoa, whoa calm down guys", she said as she took a deep breath. "I am pregnant, I just found out the other day, and it's a long story".

Lynn looked at her with wide eyes, as Luna and Luan had tears in the corners of their eyes.

They all three went to give her a hug, and Leni joined in as well.

"I can't believe it", Luna said as she wiped her eyes. "That baby will be the most rockin' little dude or dudette ever. Aunt Luna will make sure of it".

"I'll teach them all of my jokes", Luan said.

"You guys are both wrong", Lynn said. "They'll be a football player".

"Whatever you need, Lori", Luna said. "We'll be here".

"Thanks guys", she said as she leaned into their hug. "Mom and Dad don't know yet though, so please keep it a secret for now, okay?"

They all nodded.

"Of course, sis"

"Sure"

"You bet"

"Great", Lori said as she broke away from the hug. "Now who wants to help me put these back in the attic?"


	4. Early Morning Secrets

Lori slipped out of her room, trying her hardest not to wake Leni or her other siblings. Her heart was beating fast in her chest as she walked down the hall to the stairs. She stopped to look at her phone. 5:25am.

She headed down the stairs, as quietly as she could. She made her way over to the couch. She sat there, staring at her parents' door. It would open at any moment.

Lori knew that springing things on her mom first thing in the morning probably wasn't the best thing, but she wanted to get it over with.

She heard the sound of an alarm, and braved herself by sitting up on the seat. She bit her lip as she heard the doorknob rattle. It was then that she saw her mother step out of the room in her pink robe and slippers.

"Lori? Is that you?", Rita said as she looked over towards the couch.

Lori didn't say anything.

"What are you doing up so early?", she said as she moved over to her.

Lori closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I-I'm having a baby…", she whispered.

Rita blinked as she tried to understand what Lori had just said. "What did you say?"

Lori looked up at her. "I'm having a baby".

"What do you mean "you're having a baby"?", she asked. "Are you babysitting or something?"

"Mom…I'm pregnant"

Rita took a seat next to her on the couch. "You're what?!"

"I'm pregnant, Mom", Lori said as she turned to her.

Rite shook her head. "You can't be. Your dad and I bought you condoms, you're on birth control".

"I forgot to take my pill one day", she said.

"I…I'm not sure what to say"

They both turned towards the stairs as footsteps could be heard. Their encounter had gotten a bit louder than expected, and had woken the older kids up. Leni, Luna, Luan, Lynn, and Lincoln came down the stairs.

"Is everything okay in here?", Luna asked.

"Girls, Lincoln", Rita said as she looked at them. "Did you kids know about this?"

They shrugged.

"They know", Lori said. "Lincoln found out, and I told the girls. Lisa knows too".

"Hey guys, I-I think this is a bad time", Lincoln said.

The five looked at each other and headed back up the stairs.

Rita sighed and turned back to her daughter, who was now biting her nails.

"I'm…I'm not mad", she said. "I think I'm just very shocked".

"I am too"

Rita moved so that she was next to Lori and put a hand on her back, "It's just, you know you're so young. You're only seventeen. You have so many things you can do with your life", she said.

Lori sniffled. "I know, but I do want to keep it"

Rita looked at her softly. "I figured as much", she said. "You're a strong person. I know you'll get through this, and hopefully you'll still be able to fulfill all of your dreams. I know I did".

"What do you mean?"

"Lori, honey, I don't think I ever told you this, but I was in a similar situation to yours", she said. "I wasn't seventeen, but your father and I had only been married for a few months when you were born".

"Really?"

She nodded. "Yeah, we've been married for seventeen years".

"I told him I was pregnant, and he kinda freaked out a bit. We weren't sure what to do. We decided that we'd get married as soon as possible because we wanted you to have the best life possible".

"We were both scared, I was still in dental school, he had just graduated, but we made it work".

"I finished school when you were almost a year old, I was pregnant with Leni too".

"Wow, I never knew this", Lori said.

"I've never really told anyone", she said. "Your father and I like to have secrets too".

Lori smiled a bit.

"My point of telling you that is: I believe that you can still achieve your dreams if you work for it", Rita told her as she put a hand under her chin. "You can be a mom, and still do great things, and we'll be here watching you and helping you out along the way".

Lori felt a few tears go down her face. She leaned over and gave her mom a hug. "Thanks, Mom", she said. "You literally have no idea how much this means to me".

"I've been so scared the past few days. I was so afraid that you would be angry, that you'd kick me out".

Rita hugged her tight. "Sweetie no", she said. "I could never do that. A baby isn't something to be angry about, I'm worried, sure but I could never be mad".

"What have I done to deserve having you as a mom?"

Rita gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I love you, Lori".

"I love you, too"

They were broken from their moment as they heard the door open again. Lynn Sr stepped out, and he had a bit of a smile on his face.

"You heard everything, didn't you?"

He nodded slowly.

Lori bit her lip and looked up at her father. Before she could say anything, he came over and joined in on their hug.

"We'll get through this", he said. "I want you to know that I'm not mad either. I think I just need some time to process this".

"It's okay, Dad", Lori said. "I still need time too".

"You're gonna do so great", he said as he stroked her hair.

She smiled.

The other five kids were watching from the top of the stairs, smiling as they were happy it went well.

Now it was only a matter of time before everyone knew.

* * *

School had the been the least of Lori's worries for the past few days. It was hard to walk through the halls, knowing she was hiding something. She felt like everyone was staring at her, though she knew no one else knew.

Telling her friends was something she was afraid of as well. She knew she could trust them, but could she really? For all she knew, they could go off and tell everyone.

"Hey Lori", said a girl as she came up and linked her arm around Lori's. "I'll stick with you today, sis".

There was one positive thing though.

"Yeah, if you need anything, we're here", said another girl.

She had three sisters there to help her.

"You guys don't have to do that", Lori said. "No one even really knows yet".

"That doesn't matter", Luan said. "We know you need company now, so we're here".

"Yeah, people can like be so mean", Leni said.

"We just wanna look out for our older sis", Luna said.

The bell rang.

"Looks like you guys will have to go for now", Lori said.

"We'll meet you for lunch, though", Luan said.

The other girls nodded in agreement.

They all separated, and Lori headed to her first period. Having English for the first class of the day wasn't very fun. It involved lots of reading, and writing.

That's not a very fun thing to do first thing in the morning.

She sat in her seat, which was in front of a group of girls who were notorious for gossiping. Lori often liked to listen in, a little morning gossip never hurt anyone.

"Oh my god did you hear about Nicole?", said one of the girls. "I heard that she's pregnant".

There were a few gasps.

"I'm not surprised", said another. "She's such a slut".

Then there were a few laughs.

"It's such a shame really", said another voice. This one came from Carol Pingrey, Lori's rival.

They had made up a few weeks ago, but she still didn't fully trust her.

"She had so much going for her", Carol said. "Then she decided to be a dirty slut".

The other girls agreed.

Lori shivered as she listened in on the conversation. She knew that Carol would find out soon, as would the whole school. She didn't wanna hear the things that would be said about her.

She opened up her bag and dug out her headphones. She turned her music on as loud as she was allowed, and drowned out their words as she did her work.

Let's just hope that her sisters don't hear about this.

* * *

Lori was relieved when she made it home that day. She wasn't sure how many more days it would last, but she decided to soak it in.

Now that most of her family knew, the hardest part was over. There were still many difficult things ahead though. Telling Bobby, his family, making sure the baby has everything it needs. All the doctor's appointments, giving birth, taking care of a baby.

The life she once knew was over, this was the start of a new chapter. It helped though, knowing that she had a supportive family. She didn't expect her siblings to take care of her baby, but she knew they'd help.

Another thing that weighed on her mind was their financial situation. She quit her job at the arcade a few months ago. Bobby worked at the Bodega, but what would happen if he moves to live with her? She didn't want to rely on her parents to provide for the baby either.

They have eleven children of their own.

She felt as though she couldn't relax lately. When she pulled up to the house, she saw Lana and Lola playing in the sandbox in the backyard. Lily was waddling next to them, trying to catch a butterfly in her hands.

She remembered what it was like to be a kid. To not have any worries at all.

There was a tire swing in the backyard. She went to it, and started to swing. That thing had been there since she was a kid. There was something about to that made her feel like a kid again.

Watching her younger sisters play was so peaceful. There was also that feeling again.

Those butterflies in her stomach.

She knew now that it wasn't because she was nervous.

That was her baby. A new little life inside her that was waiting to come out one day.

She stopped swinging for a moment, and looked down at her belly. "You want in on all of this fun too, huh?"

Then, Lincoln came outside and sat behind her, resting against the tree.

"Hey little bro", Lori said. "What's up?"

"I wanted to play my new game", he said with a pout. "But Mom made me come outside instead".

"She just wants you to get some fresh air", Lori said as she swung a bit. "You play those games a bit too much sometimes".

Lincoln looked at her with a lifted brow. "You sound like a mom already".

Lori thought for a moment. "I don't know, I feel like I've always been that way", she said. "I mean, I've been taking care of you since you were little".

"I kinda remember"

"There were a few times when you fell and hit your head, and I helped you up", she said. "But you wouldn't have done it if you had listened to me".

Lincoln laughed. "Really?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I've always looked out for you and our sisters", she said. She got down from the swing and sat down beside him.

"I've always felt like that was one of my jobs as the oldest ya know?", she said. "I wanted to take care of you guys, make sure you're okay".

"You still help me when I have nightmares"

"I wouldn't trade it for anything"

He looked at her. "A-are you scared?", Lincoln asked.

"Of course", she said as she looked at him. "Not just for the birth part, but for everything else too".

"Are you worried about what Bobby is gonna say?"

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't", she said. "But I don't think he'll mind. He'll be shocked sure, but I think he'll be excited".

"Are you excited yet?"

"You literally ask too many questions, Linc"

He blushed a bit. "I-I'm sorry".

"Aw I'm just playing", Lori said as she ruffled his hair. "Honestly, yeah I am".

"I am too"

"Oh yeah?"

He nodded

"Well, now I know who I'll be getting to help me change diapers".

Lincoln stuck his tongue out. "Oh no, I already have to do that with Lily".

"I know, but now you'll have two"

He shook his head. "You're crazy".

She laughed and then grabbed his hand. She took it, and put it on top of her belly.

"Do you feel anything yet?"

He shook his head. "No, but I know it's there".

"I can feel it a bit", she said. "They started moving when they felt your hand".

"Really?"

"Yeah"

Lincoln smiled. "I love them already", he said as he rubbed her belly.

"I know you do", she said. "I think they feel the same way".

"Kids! Time to come inside!"

"Now you get to play your new game"

"Hehe, yeah"

They got up and went inside, and Lori still felt the butterflies in her belly.

* * *

Lincoln finished brushing his teeth, and went down to his room.

Ping!

His phone went off.

The light from the phone burned as his eyes as he tried to adjust to it.

_Hey Lame-o_

Ah, Ronnie Anne. Bobby's little sister, and one of his best friends whom he didn't get to see often.

He texted back.

_Hey, Ronnie Anne. What's up?_

_I was just thinking about how I get to see you in two days. I've missed you more than I like to admit._

He felt his heart flutter a bit. His feelings on Ronnie Anne were…complicated. He liked her as a friend, but also as more than a friend.

_I've missed you too_

He thought about how she would now be an aunt too. He always had a feeling that Lori and Bobby would be together forever, but now it was mostly guaranteed. No matter what, the baby is part of Ronnie Anne's family too.

To Lincoln, that was reassuring. Even if something were to happen with their siblings, he'd still have a chance with Ronnie Anne.

He smiled as he looked down at his phone.

_I've gotta head to bed. Call me tomorrow?_

_Yeah, we can do that. Good night, Ronnie Anne._

_See ya, Lame-o_

Lincoln locked his phone and set it on his nightstand. He pulled his covers down and got into bed. As he pulled them over his head, he sighed, "Mmm good night Ronnie Anne".

* * *

Lori made her way down to the kitchen for a late night snack. She knew how bad it was to eat late at night, but was going to get fat anyway. That didn't matter anymore. Those cravings were bad too.

She made her way to the bottom of the stairs, and she spotted her mother sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee in her hands.

"Mom? What are you still doing up?", she said.

"Oh, I didn't mean to wake you", Rita said.

"You didn't", Lori said. "The baby did. I'm so hungry".

"Go get a snack, and then come sit down".

Lori headed into the kitchen, and came back with a bag of chips.

"Is everything okay?", she asked as she sat down next to her mom on the couch.

"Mhm, I just wanted to talk about some things", Rita said. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. I think my morning sickness is starting to go away".

"That's good, those will help you too", Rita said as she pointed to the bag of chips. "When I was pregnant, all I ate for the first few months was chips and crackers. All ten times".

"I couldn't imagine having to deal with that ten times"

"I didn't think I would either, but things happen"

Lori nodded.

"Well, what I wanted to tell you was that I set up an appointment for you", Rita told her. "It's on Monday, and it's with my doctor".

"Really?"

She nodded. "Yeah, the doctor who delivered you will be delivering your baby. Isn't that funny?"

"It is".

"Now for the other thing", Rita said. "Does Bobby know yet?"

Lori shook her head. "No, Lincoln and I were going to head to visit them on Saturday", she said. "I was planning to tell him then".

"Good, good", Rita said. "That's important that he knows, it's his baby too".

"I just hope he takes it well", Lori said. "I'm afraid of him freaking out".

Rita put her hand on Lori's shoulder. "I know he'll be surprised, I still am, but", she paused. "I know how he feels about you, and how you feel about him".

"I know for a fact that this baby came from love", she continued. "I know you two are young, still in high school, but I have no doubt that you love each other".

"That…that means so much to hear you say that", Lori said. "So many people, even some of my own siblings, told me that it wouldn't last at first".

"They're just looking out for their big sister", Rita said. "They watched you get your heart broken so many times. Even your father and I were skeptical".

"Bobby is a nice guy, a genuine one too. I have no doubt that he'll be a wonderful father".

"I love him, Mom. I know that I do".

"I know, and that brings me to my other point", Rita said. "If Bobby takes this news well, and I have a feeling he will, then your father and I have agreed to let him come and live with us. We want our grandchild to have both of their parents if at all possible".

"Mom…I…"

"It's okay if you don't know what to say", she told her. "But I really mean it when I say that. We can work out the finances later. All I care right now is making sure you, the baby, and Bobby are okay".

"Thank you so much, honestly", Lori said. "This means so much to me".

" _You_  mean so much to me", Rita said. "I love all of my children so much, you all mean the world to me. But you, Lori, you were my first baby. Nothing will ever change that. I want you to feel the same way about your first child, that I did with you".

Lori started to cry, and her mom pulled her into a hug. "I-I love you".

"I love you, too", Rita whispered as she kissed her head. "My baby girl".


	5. Off to the City

"You ready, Linc?"

Lori stood in the hallway as she watched Lincoln finish packing his bag.

He took a few shirts off of the hangers, and folded them neatly in his suitcase. He zipped it up, and put it over his shoulder.

"Now I am"

He stepped out of his room and closed the door behind him.

It was Saturday, which meant that Lori and Lincoln were heading out to the city to visit the Casagrandes. For Lincoln, it meant that he would see Ronnie Anne again. For Lori, she would get to see Bobby, and reveal the news to him. Overall though, they both enjoyed the warm welcome they always got from their family.

They headed for the stairs, and were met by their parents at the bottom.

"Now remember, you can stay the whole weekend, but you'll have to be back by Monday for your appointment, okay?", Rita told her.

Lori nodded. "I know, I just hope everything goes well."

Lynn Sr. gave her a kiss on the head. "I'm sure it'll be fine," he said. He looked over at Lincoln. "You be on your best behavior, okay young man?"

Lincoln nodded. "Yes sir."

They both headed out the door, with their parents and sisters waving goodbye.

"Drive safe!"

Lori opened up the back of Vanzilla, and began to get hers and Lincoln's bags. Lincoln came over and grabbed them.

"No Lori, I'll get it," he said, picking up his bag and putting it in the car. "It could hurt the baby."

She raised a brow. "How do you know that?"

"I've been reading some of Mom's old pregnancy books," said Lincoln. "It said that picking up heavy objects can hurt the baby."

She sighed and rubbed his hair. "You don't have to do that for me, Lincoln," she said. "I'm the one who should be studying all this stuff."

"But I want to!", he said. "You're my big sister, and I want to make sure you and my baby niece or nephew are okay."

She smiled. "I appreciate it, just don't get too worked up about these things, okay?"

He nodded. "Okay," he said. "Now can we go?"

"Yeah, get in"

* * *

The Casagrandes lived only three hours away from Royal Woods, but the car ride felt like an eternity. They would find themselves singing along to the radio, telling stories, and sometimes just talking.

Lincoln had his feet up on the dashboard, with a comic book in hand. His face was beginning to become a bit pale.

"Put the book down"

Lincoln looked over at Lori.

"Lincoln, please, I don't want to have both of us get sick today"

Lincoln put his book down next to him. "Sorry."

"No, it's okay," she said. "Just, you know how you get carsick, and I haven't been feeling too good myself."

"Mom packed us some snacks," he said while pulling a bag out from under his feet. "I think she said you need to eat crackers so you don't get sick."

He reached in the bag and pulled out a pack of peanut butter crackers. He starting eating some, and held one out for her.

She grabbed it and started nibbling on it. "Thanks."

She looked over to him. "So, are you excited?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I can't wait to see Ronnie Anne again," he said. "We're going to have so much fun! What about you?"

She thought for a moment, while still keeping her eyes on the road. "I'm excited, but also nervous," she said.

"How do you think it'll go?"

She thought for a moment. She and Bobby had been dating for a few months, but was it enough for him to stay with her? He was the father of her child, and her soulmate. She knew that he'd be a little shocked at first, but she was hoping that he would be excited.

Another thing she was worried about was if he would come to stay with her. It was so sudden, and she wasn't sure if he would want to give up what he has now. She knew that he would be a wonderful father, no matter what happens.

"Lori? Hey!"

She was broken out of her thoughts by the sound of Lincoln's voice. He was waving his hand in front of her face.

"Did you hear what I said?"

"Sorry Lincoln, I…I just have a lot on my mind right now."

He put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, sis," he said, lovingly. "You know that I'm always here to talk."

She looked over to see the little smile he had on his face. He never failed to be adorable even when he didn't need to be.

"I literally don't deserve to have you as a brother, Lincoln," she said. "You're always too sweet."

She reached over and pinched one of his cheeks. "Not to mention cute."

He felt his face get warm and brushed her hand away. "Save that for your baby."

They both laughed.

"It looks like we're almost there"

Lincoln leaned up to look out of the windshield. "I can see their building!"

A few minutes later, they pulled up to the bodega.

They began to get out, and were met by Bobby and Ronnie Anne.

Lori almost fell over as Bobby ran up to hug her.

"Babe!", he shouted as he hugged her tight. "I've missed you so much."

She hugged him back and put her head in his shoulder. "I've missed you too, Boo Boo Bear."

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne stood nearby. Ronnie Anne stuck her tongue out as she watched the scene.

"There they go being all cheesy again," she said. "At least we're not like that, huh Lame-o?"

Lincoln nodded. "Yeah, haha."

"You wanna come up to my room and check out the new games I got?"

"That'd be awesome!"

They ran up to Ronnie Anne's room, leaving Lori and Bobby alone.

They released from the hug, and linked hands in front of each other.

"We have a few hours to do whatever we want, but my Abuela knew that you guys were coming so she's making a big dinner."

Lori knew that she would love it, Rosa's food was always amazing, but when you're pregnant? Even better. It could also be the perfect time to tell the rest of his family too.

"That'll be great!"

Bobby released her hands and went to the back of Vanzilla. "Here let me get these for ya." He grabbed both hers and Lincoln's bags, and carried them inside. She followed behind him.

The Casagrande's building always felt so welcoming. This wasn't the first time that Lori or Lincoln had been there, but each time they came, the family would always prepare lots of decorations and food.

She could already smell the food as they entered the hallway. Rosa always made sure they got fed when they came to visit. She won't let anyone leave hungry.

The smell of tamales and chorizo filled the air, and it made her mouth water.

They turned to the door at the left, and entered into the living room. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne were sitting at the table, and he was already busy stuffing his face.

"Hey guys!", Lincoln said, his mouth full.

Lori was about to wave to him, when she felt her hand being kissed.

"Ah mi corazón"

She looked down to see Carl.

"You still look as beautiful as ever," he said. "How about you ditch Roberto and hang out with me today?"

Lori shook her head. "That's sweet, but," she looked at Bobby. "I came here to spend with him today."

Carl scoffed and stepped away. "You will be mine one day."

She rolled her eyes. "He's never going to stop that is he?"

"Probably not," Bobby said as he tried to hold in his laughter.

"Lori!", Carlota yelled as she came into the room. "I've missed you!"

She reached out to hug Lori. "I've missed you too."

"I've got some new outfits that you totes need to try out!"

Rosa came over and broke up their hug. "She isn't doing anything until she gets to eat first!"

"Of course Abuela"

She grabbed Lori's hand and led her over to the table, sitting her next to Lincoln.

She was met by a plate of food that definitely had more than enough for one person.

"Now eat!", Rosa said. "Then you two can go do whatever you want."

"Thanks Mrs. Casagrande", Lori said. She looked at the plate in front of her. It was filled with rice, enchiladas, tacos, and so many other things that she didn't know the name of.

Bobby sat down next to her. "There was this new place I wanted to check out tonight," he said. "But you probably won't feel like eating anything else after this."

"We can do whatever you want," Lori said as she took a bite of a burrito. "Just as long as I get to pick too."

"Of course!"

* * *

"Wow Babe, I don't think I've ever seen you eat that much before," Bobby said as he watched Lori eat the last of her second plate.

"I don't think I ever have," she said, reaching for a napkin to wipe her mouth. "I didn't eat much before we left this morning."

"Are you okay?"

"My stomach hasn't been letting me eat much lately," she said. "I was feeling pretty sick earlier."

"Maybe you just need some fresh air," Bobby said. "Well, as fresh as city air can be anyway."

They laughed.

"Let's go."

* * *

Lincoln sat on the bed as Ronnie Anne dug through her box of games.

"Ha! Here it is," she exclaimed as she held up the game cartridge. She walked over and handed it to him.

Lincoln's eyes went wide as he looked at the title. "Total Turbo Twenty-Three?!", he exclaimed. "This is only the best new racing game."

"I got it a couple weeks ago," she said. "I haven't played it yet, I was waiting for you."

"What are we waiting for then?", Lincoln said as he jumped off the bed and went over to the game console. "Let's go!"

* * *

Lori and Bobby headed out to the city, as it was his turn to pick somewhere first.

"We like to eat there a lot," Bobby said, pointing to a restaurant on the other side of the street. "They also opened up a new arcade right there. Nini hasn't tried it yet."

"I know she and Lincoln would love it"

"Those two really are something aren't they?"

"They are," Lori said. "It kinda surprised me when I found out that Ronnie Anne was the one who was bullying him in school. I'm just glad to see where they are now."

"Linc is a good boy," Bobby said. "I can see why Nini likes him."

Lori laughed. "She really does like him, huh?", she said. "I wasn't sure if she had told you."

"Yeah she did," he said. "Has Lincoln said anything to you about her?"

She shook her head. "Nope, but he can be pretty bashful when it comes to that stuff."

He reached over and grabbed her hand. "Did you ever talk to your siblings about me?"

"I did," she said. "It was Leni first, she's not that good at keeping secrets, but she didn't tell anyone."

"Leni is a sweetheart"

"She is, we've been practically inseparable since we were kids," Lori continued. "She was happy, but some of my sisters weren't."

"They didn't like me did they?", he said in a sad tone.

She turned to look at him. "It's not that they didn't like you," she said, putting a hand on his face. "It's just…I've had so many bad boyfriends in the past, and they weren't sure about you."

"I get that," he said. He took her hand and kissed it. "Ronnie Anne was the same way with me."

"I'm just happy that you turned out to be different," she said, lovingly. "You're a good guy, and I'm glad that I can call you my boyfriend."

"And you're a good girl," he said. "I'm glad I can call you my girlfriend."

They shared a kiss.

"Come on, I still have to show you something."

He grabbed her hand, and led her farther down the street. They ended up at a place that seemed to be outside.

"What is this?"

"It's an outside aquarium," he told her. "It's the first one of its kind, and I've been dying to check it out."

There was a large area, filled with tanks of various sizes. They watched as people pointed to the fish, and kids stuck their faces to the glass.

"Oh look!", he said as he led her up to a tank. "I know how much you love seahorses, Babe."

Lori looked as the seahorses slowly made their way around the tank. It was true, they were one of her favorite animals. There was just something about them that she found cute, but majestic.

"I love them"

She pulled out her phone, and gestured for him to stand next to her. He put his arm around her, and they both posed in front of the seahorses.

"That's a good one," Bobby said, with a goofy smile on his face. "Hey, I wanna go see the jellyfish next."

She grabbed his hand, and as they were about to head that way, they noticed a small child on the ground. Her mom seemed to be busy with a baby, and the little girl was upset.

Lori saw the look on Bobby's face, and released his hand. He walked over to the girl, and knelt down to her level.

"Hey there, sweetie," he said softly. "What's the matter?"

The girl sniffled and wiped her nose on her arm. "M-my mommy won't buy me another ice cream."

He looked over, where there was a melted ice cream cone laying on the ground.

The Mom heard the conversation and turned around. "It's not that I won't, I told her that I didn't have enough for another one."

Bobby got up, and walked over to the nearest ice cream stand. He came back with a Vanilla cone that was as big as her head.

The little girl's eyes lit up as he handed it her.

"Thanks Mister!"

"You didn't have to do that really…but thank you"

"It was no problem, it broke my heart to see such a sweet little girl so sad."

He felt a tug at his pants. He looked down to see the little girl hugging his legs. He patted her on the head.

"Come on sweetie, we have to get home."

"Thanks again Mister!", the girl shouted as she ran off to her mom.

Lori had stood back, watching this scene unfold before her eyes. On the outside, a simple smile. On the inside, her heart was full.

He didn't know it yet, but he would be a father soon, and she couldn't have picked a better guy.

He waved goodbye, and walked back over to Lori.

"That was so sweet"

"It reminded me of when Ronnie Anne and I were little," he said. "I was that little girl before."

Lori smiled, and grabbed his hand. "You have a big heart, especially when it comes to kids."

He smiled back. "Yeah, I do."

She yawned. "I'm actually getting kinda tired…and hungry," she said. "Do you think we could head back after this?"

"Whatever you want, Babe"

* * *

"Aw come on, I won fair and square that time"

"Not according to the game you didn't"

Lincoln pouted as he watched Ronnie Anne dance on her bed.

His face turned into a smile though, and he started laughing as he watched her.

She stopped to look at his face, and she could feel her cheeks turn red.

He's kinda cute when he laughs…, she thought to herself.

He wiped a tear from his eye. "Gosh, I'm having so much fun."

"Glad to hear it," she said. "I am too."

Lincoln paused for a second, and his smile turned into a frown.

"What's wrong?", asked Ronnie Anne, who also had a frown on her face.

"Nothing…it's just…," he began. "I wish we didn't live so far away sometimes."

"Oh," she said. "I think about that sometimes too."

Lincoln shook his head. "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to ruin our fun."

"Hey," she said. She slid closer to him, and she didn't notice that their hands were touching.

Lincoln tried to ignore the warm sensation on his face as he tried to listen to what she was saying.

"You didn't ruin anything, okay?", she said. "It's good that we can talk to each other, that's what friends do."

"I guess you're right," he said. "I think I'm just worried for nothing. If Lori and Bobby can make their relationship last this long, then we can do the same with our friendship. I don't wanna lose a friend."

Ronnie Anne wrapped her arms around him. "I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you."

He hugged her back. His head laying against hers. "Good to know."

The sound of a camera flashing could be heard.

Both kids looked up to see Ronnie Anne's Tia Frida standing in the doorway, with her camera in hand.

"Ronnie Anne, why do you keep telling me he's not your boyfriend?", she asked.

They both felt their faces turn red. "Because he's not, Tia," Ronnie Anne said.

"Sure sweetie," she said, laughing. "It's almost dinner time, Rosa wants you two to come and help."

Ronnie Anne sat back on her bed, her arms crossed as she huffed. "I have no privacy here."

Lincoln put a hand on her shoulder. "I know how you feel, trust me."

"Come on, I want a taste of those tamales"

* * *

"Two blue raspberry please"

The vendor handed Bobby two slushees, and he walked over to where Lori was sitting on the bench.

"Here you go, Babe"

"Thanks Boo Boo Bear"

He sat down next to her, and she looked at him.

Her body was filled with anxiety, but also anticipation.

You can do this Lori, she thought. This is the time. Just tell him.

She reached over and grabbed his hand. "I've had so much fun today."

He took the straw out of his mouth. "I've had fun too."

She could feel hands starting to shake. She sighed.

"I came here today, not only to spend time with you, but because I have something important to tell you."

He put his cup down, and grabbed both of her hands. "You can tell me anything."

She bit her lip, and squeezed his hands. "Bobby…I'm-", she paused, and took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."

Bobby didn't react quickly like she thought he would. His eyes didn't go wide, his mouth didn't drop open.

Instead, he pulled her into a hug.

"Babe…are you for real?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm eight weeks," she said quietly. "You're not mad?"

He shook his head. "Not at all, I-I remember what happened last time you were here. When you said you were sick, I…had a feeling."

She hugged him back. "I've been so scared, Bobby," she said, her voice breaking. "And…and to know that you're not mad is a big relief to me."

He pulled away and cupped her face in his hand. "It is scary, I'm scared too, but-," he kissed her cheek. "I'll be here with you, every step along the way."

His eyes got watery, and so did hers.

She pulled him into another hug, burying her head in his shoulder. "My parents said you can come live with us," she said. "So you can help with the baby."

He thought for a second. "That would be perfect," he started. "But I already have a job here working at the bodega. Maybe…maybe I can work out something with my Abuelo."

"I'm sure you can," she said. "You can always get another job in Royal Woods, too."

"Yeah, I've worked everywhere in that town," he said. "But I'll do whatever it takes, because that's my baby."

Lori sniffled. "I don't deserve such a good guy like you," she said. "You're gonna be such a good Dad."

He paused for a moment. "I'm gonna be a Daddy…", he said. "I'm gonna be a Daddy."

"And you'll do great," she said, pulling away. "How do you think your family will take it?"

"I think they'll be surprised at first, but they'll be okay," he said. "We can tell them before dinner, if you want."

She nodded. "I think that would be best."

He pulled her in for a kiss. "I love you, Lori."

"I love you too, Bobby."


	6. Hermano y Hermana

"You fold it like this"

"Like this?"

"Yeah! You got it"

Ronnie Anne took the burrito she had in her hand, and put in on the plate. She looked over at Lincoln, who had a plate of burritos that looked sloppier than hers.

"You did good, Lame-o," she said.

"They don't look as good as yours, though," Lincoln said.

"I've been doing this for awhile, it takes practice!", Ronnie Anne said, as she put a hand on his back. "Besides, they'll still taste good."

"You're right," he laughed, "We need to stop being so competitive."

She playfully punched his arm. "Not gonna happen."

"Are you niños done with these?", Rosa said as she walked over to them.

"Yes ma'am," they both said.

She picked up Lincoln's plate. "Ah, Lincoln these look great!", she said. "You'll get the hang of it soon enough."

"What about mine?", Ronnie Anne asked.

Rosa looked at Ronnie Anne. "Yours are always perfect, but you've had more practice," she said.

She grabbed the other plate, and headed for the dining room. Ronnie Anne and Lincoln stuck their tongues out at each other.

"Told you mine are better," Ronnie Anne said.

Lincoln shook his head.

"Hey, Mija"

Ronnie Anne looked up to see her mother.

"When do you think your brother and Lori will be back?"

"I haven't heard anything from him," Ronnie Anne said. She looked at Lincoln.

He pulled out his phone. "Lori hasn't said anything either," he said.

"Well, dinner will be starting soon," said Maria. "If they're not here in the next few minutes, text him please?"

"Sure thing, Mom," Ronnie Anne said.

"Do you think we have enough time to play another round of video games before dinner?", Lincoln asked.

Ronnie Anne put her finger to her chin. "Yeah, there's no telling when the love birds will be back," she said.

They ran out of the kitchen, and headed down the hall to Ronnie Anne's room. They ran past Carlos, who was reading a book.

"Whoa slow down you two!", he said. He laughed as he watched them run into the room.

He headed into the living room, where his sister and wife were sitting.

"What's with those two?", he asked.

"Oh, they are so competitive," Maria told him. "That's all they've been doing since they got here."

"I think it's good that Ronnie Anne has a friend like Lincoln," Frida said. "He's helped her come out of her shell."

Maria nodded. "That's true," she said. "I like Lincoln."

Ronnie Anne had changed a lot since she and Lincoln had became friends. It was true that she used to bully him, but they learned to get past it, and now they were the best of friends. Ronnie Anne was still the same tough girl she always has been, but even her family knew that Lincoln had a good influence on her. They always enjoyed having him and Lori over.

The door opened, and Lori and Bobby walked inside.

"Oh there you are!", Maria said. "Did you guys have fun?"

They nodded.

"We did, and we'll tell all about it later," Bobby said. "Where's Little Loud and Nini?"

"They're in her room"

"We wanted to talk to them," Lori said.

"That's fine, try to make it quick," said Maria. "Dinner will be ready soon."

They nodded, and headed down the hall.

Bobby knocked on the door.

"Nini? Can we come in?"

Ronnie Anne paused the game, and got up to answer the door.

"Oh hey, yeah come on in," she said as she opened the door.

They both stepped inside.

Bobby put his arm around Lori. "We have something that we want to tell you," he said.

Lincoln looked at his sister, and Ronnie Anne got back on her bed.

"Is everything okay?", she asked.

"Yes, it's more than fine," Lori said. "Or it will be."

Lincoln smiled, as he had a feeling he knew what they were about to say. Ronnie Anne looked at them both, getting impatient.

"Will you just tell me already?"

Bobby walked over to her, and knelt down so that he was looking at her. "Nini, you're going to be an aunt."

Ronnie Anne looked at him, her eyebrow raised. "What are you saying?"

Bobby stood up and went back over to Lori. She bit her lip.

"Ronnie Anne," Lori started, as she put her hand on her belly. "I'm pregnant."

Ronnie Anne sat there for a moment, trying to take it in. "You're pregnant?!", she said.

"Yes, that's right," Lori said. "I-We're having a baby."

Ronnie Anne looked at Lincoln. "Did you know about this?"

He nodded. "Yeah I uh I found her test in the trash."

Bobby looked at his sister, concerned. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I just…," she said. "I wasn't expecting this."

"I wasn't either, Nini," Bobby said. "I just found out too."

Ronnie Anne sat there for a moment. She wasn't sure how she felt. She wasn't angry, it would be selfish of her to be angry. Shocked would be a better word for how she felt. The shock wore off though, and she suddenly felt happy.

She got up, and wrapped her arms around Lori's waist. "You are for real?", she asked. "You're having a baby?"

Lori looked down, and stroked her hair. "I am," she said. "You're not upset, are you?"

Ronnie Anne shook her head. "No, I think…," she started. "I think I'm happy."

"That's good to hear, Nini," Bobby said. He looked at Lincoln. "What about you, Little Loud?"

"I'm happy too," he said.

He got up and hugged Bobby's waist. "I can't wait to be an uncle," he said.

Bobby patted him on the back. "You'll be a great one, little dude."

Lori looked at him. "Dinner will be ready soon," she said. "Should we go out and tell everyone else?"

"Yeah, let's do it"

Ronnie Anne and Lincoln let go of their legs, and the four of them headed to the dining room.

They came to see that most of the family had already gathered in the living room.

"Hey guys," Bobby said as they entered the room. "Lori and I have something to tell you guys."

They all looked at them. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne went and sat on the couch.

"Sit down, guys," Lori said.

Everyone tried quickly to find a seat, and some sat on the floor.

The couple went and stood in front of everyone.

Lori could feel her hands starting to shake. Bobby reached down and grabbed them.

"What is this about guys?", Maria asked.

"Well…," Lori started. "I've been feeling pretty sick lately, and I finally found out why." She looked at Bobby.

He squeezed her hands. "We're having a baby."

They could hear the gasps.

"Are you serious?!", Carlota asked.

"Yeah, I'm about eight weeks."

Carlota ran up and hugged Lori. "I'm gonna have a little cousin!", she said. "I'm so happy for you guys."

"Lori is having a baby?", CJ asked, looking at his dad.

"Yes, it seems so," Carlos told him.

CJ went up and joined in on the hug.

Bobby looked at his family. "What do the rest of you guys think?"

His mom came up to him, and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm not upset, I think I just need time to process this," she said.

"It's okay, Mom," he said. "As long as you're not mad."

"Oh your baby will be so beautiful!", Frida said, giving Lori a hug. "I want to be your photographer, we'll take pictures of everything."

Lori smiled. She was glad they were all so supportive.

"Oh this calls for a feast!", Rosa said. She went up to Lori. "You have a baby in there, you need to eat a lot, and I know my food will do the trick."

Lori laughed. "After all I ate earlier, I think they love your food already."

Rosa smiled, as headed back to the kitchen.

"I guess you'll have to work harder at the Bodega, eh mijo?", Hector said.

Bobby looked at Lori. "I want to support my child however I can," he said, giving Lori a kiss on the cheek. "Which is why I've decided to go stay in Royal Woods for awhile."

He heard them start to talk.

"Is that what you want to do?", Carlota asked.

"My parents said that he can live with us," Lori said. "That is, if he wants to."

"I know you'll do the right thing, honey," Maria said. "You're going to be a Dad, you'll soon have your own responsibilities."

"We can work something out for your work," Hector said. "I know I can be frugal, but I want to help you."

"Thanks Mom, and Abuelo," Bobby said.

Ronnie Anne got up and ran to her room.

"Ronnie Anne!", Lincoln yelled.

"I'll go talk to her," Bobby said as he ran after her.

Ronnie Anne shut her door, and jumped on her bed. She put a pillow over her face.

Bobby knocked on the door. "Nini? It's me."

"Go away"

"Ronnie Anne…please"

He turned the knob slowly and entered the room. He noticed her laying on the bed, and sat next to her.

He tried to lay a hand on her leg, and she rolled over, facing the wall.

"Ronnie Anne, I know it's so sudden, but-," he started.

"But what? You don't care about your family?", she said.

Bobby stood up. "Don't you ever say that again," he said, angry. "I care more about you than you'll ever know."

Ronnie Anne sat up, and took the pillow off of her face. She had tears running down her face. "Then why are you leaving us?"

He sat down next to her. "Because it's not just about me anymore," he said, rubbing her back. "I have a baby to worry about."

"I already lost my dad, I don't want to lose my brother too," she said, as she crawled into Bobby's lap.

He could feel his shirt becoming wet with her tears. "You're not losing me, Nini," he said softly, rubbing her hair. "I'll be back."

"Really?", she asked, wiping her eyes.

"Yeah, Abuelo and I, we're gonna work something out to where I can still work at the bodega," he said. "And I'll talk to Lori's parents too."

"But no matter what happens," he hugged her tight. "I'll always be here," he kissed her head.

She put her arms around him and snuggled into him. "It's going to be different."

"I know it will be, but think of it like this," he said. "In a few months, you'll have a little niece or nephew to look after."

"And you'll get to see Lincoln more often," he said. "I know you really like him."

"I don't like him like that," she said.

He laughed. "I love you, Nini."

"I love you too, Bobby"

"Should we go eat now?", he said. "Abuela is gonna have a fit."

"Yeah, I'm starved."

They got up, and headed to the dining room.

There they saw the rest of the family staring at them.

The smiled at each other, then at the family.

"Are we eating or what?", Ronnie Anne asked.

* * *

The weekend came and went, and it was time for Lori and Lincoln to return to Royal Woods. This time with Bobby. They decided that for now, he wouldn't be staying permanently. He would stay with the Louds for a couple weeks at a time, then go back to the city for a couple weeks to work. Once Lori got farther along in her pregnancy, he would move in with them.

Right now, all he cared about was being there for his child, and the love of his life.

They stood on the stoop of the Casagrande Bodega, where they were saying their goodbyes.

Lori hugged Carlota.

"You'll have to let me plan your baby shower!", Carlota said. "I can totes find you a cute dress too."

"Thanks, Carlota," Lori said. "Maybe you and Leni could plan it together, she's good with parties."

"Thanks for the food, Mrs. Casagrande," Lincoln said. He was holding a large plate of food. "I'm sure my sisters will love it."

"Take care, mijito," Rosa said, pinching his cheek.

He felt his cheeks heat up, and put on a cheeky smile. He put his plate of food in the car, and walked over to Ronnie Anne.

"I guess this is goodbye, again," he said.

"Yeah, I guess it is," she said. "I'll miss you, Lame-o."

"I'll miss you too," Lincoln said.

He felt his heart start to race, and before he knew what he was doing, he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

They both felt their faces turn red. Ronnie Anne rubbed her cheek, and Lincoln rubbed his neck.

"I uh I-I have to go now," he said. "B-Bye Ronnie Anne."

"What was that about?", Bobby asked.

"N-Nothing," Ronnie Anne stuttered.

Bobby chuckled. "If you say so," he said, getting down to her level. He held his arms open. "Come on."

She accepted the hug, and wrapped her arms around him. "I'll miss you so much," she said.

"I'll miss you, too," he said. "But remember, it's not goodbye."

"It's see you later," they said together.

He kissed her head. "See you later, Nini."

He stood up, and went over to his mom.

He wasn't surprised that she didn't cry. She didn't cry about a lot of things. Instead, she would smile because it was better to be happy than sad.

They didn't speak. He hugged her neck, and she hugged him back.

"I love you, Mom," he said.

"I love you too, Mijo," she said.

With that, the three finished putting their things into Vanzilla, and they were on their way to Royal Woods.

* * *

It was a long three hour ride, but they soon pulled into the driveway of the Loud house.

They got out of Vanzilla, and Bobby and Lincoln chose to carry the bags inside.

Lori didn't bother knocking, as it was usually so loud that they couldn't hear it. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her house key, unlocking the door.

"We're home!", she announced as she stepped inside.

"Lori!"

Lori was almost toppled over as the twins hugged her legs. She patted them on the head.

"Hey Lana, Lola," she said.

They watched as Lincoln came in, followed by Bobby.

Lola made a face when she saw Bobby.

"Why is Bobby here?", she asked, looking up at Lori.

Lori knew that she couldn't hide it from the youngest sisters of the house. She chose to wait though, as it would be easy to tell them.

Lori smiled at her. "I'll tell you in a minute," she said. "Where's Lucy?"

"She's upstairs," Lana said, picking her nose.

Lola looked at Lana with a disgusted face. "Really Lana?", she said. "You can't do that when there's something important going on."

Lana took her finger out of her nose, and wiped it on her overalls. "Fine," she said.

"I'll get Lucy," Lynn said, heading up the stairs.

A few minutes passed, and Lucy came down the stairs, Lynn following behind.

"Hey Lori," Lucy said. "What is this about?"

Lori bit her lip, and knelt down in front of the three girls.

"Well…ya see," she began. "Bobby is coming to stay with us for awhile."

"Why?", Lana asked.

Lori smiled.

"Because…he's going to be a Daddy," she told them.

"Really?!," Lola exclaimed. "But wait, what does that have to do with us?"

"The baby will be part of our family," Lori said. "I'm having the baby."

The three girls gasped.

"Lori, you're…pregnant?", Lucy asked.

"I am"

"I'm gonna be an aunt?!", Lola screamed as she ran up and hugged Lori.

Lana started bouncing up and down. "I'm gonna teach them how to make mud pies and how to take care of snakes!", she yelled happily as she joined in on the hug.

Lucy didn't say much, she just smiled a bit and hugged them too.

Lori smiled too, as she had everything she could ever want right now.

Yeah, everything was gonna be alright.


	7. Ultrasounds & Unhappy Sisters

Monday morning came, and as the other kids in the house headed off to school, Lori was up for a very important reason.

It was time for her very first doctor's appointment.

To say she was nervous was an understatement. This was different than what Lisa had done a few days ago. Her mom had explained it to her a bit. They would run tests on her, and the doctor would have to touch her…down there.

"You'll get used to it," Rita told her. "It's just part of being a Mom."

Lori took deep breaths as she looked out the window of Vanzilla, watching the buildings go by as they headed into the city. There were so many things running through her mind.

She felt the warmth of someone touching her hand, and looked over to see Bobby looking at her, with a frown on his face.

He stroked her hand with his thumb. "You're scared, aren't you?", he asked.

She nodded slowly. "I am, but I want to know what's going on, too."

He took her hand and put it up to his lips, leaving a quick kiss. "I'll be there, sitting right next to you," he said with a goofy smile on his face.

"I know, I just…", she started, looking down at her lap. "What if there's something wrong with it?"

"Then we'll deal with it," Bobby said. "For now, let's look at the positive."

She reached into the pocket of the seat in front of her, and pulled out a small notebook. Her mom had suggested that she write down any questions she may have for the doctor.

She had managed to make a list, with things such as:

_Who can I call if I have questions?_

_What do I do if I start bleeding?_

_What kinds of tests will be done and what are they for?_

She had hoped that this would relieve some tension, and it did. But only a little bit.

They soon pulled up to the OB/GYN office. It wasn't what Lori was used to. The pediatrician's office was always so colorful, and full of the sounds of children playing.

This place was dull, with white walls and piles of maternity magazines and books. There were only a few other people in the waiting room.

She followed her mom up to the check in window.

"Hey Rita!", they were greeted by a young woman who had her brown hair tied in a high ponytail.

"Hi Samantha," Rita greeted her.

"How are you, today?", Samantha asked. "How is the little one?"

"She's good, starting to get into everything," Rita said.

"I've seen pictures of her on SwiftyPic," Samantha said, as she turned to her computer. "Your kids are such dolls."

"Thank you," Rita said. "They get it from me."

The two women laughed, while Lori shook her head.

"Ah, I don't see you on our list today," Samantha said.

"Oh, I'm not here for me today," Rita said, turning to Lori. "I brought my daughter to see Dr. Roth."

"I see," Samantha said. "Lori Loud, is it?"

"That's her"

Samantha reached over and grabbed a clipboard filled with paperwork.

"Since this is her first visit, she'll have to fill this out," she said, handed the papers to Rita. "Bring it up here when you're done, and then the doctor will call you back shortly."

Rita grabbed the papers from her. "Thanks so much, hun."

"No problem, and if it's not too much, could you bring Lily next time? She's such a cutie."

Rita laughed. "I'll see what I can do."

She gestured for Lori and Bobby to follow her, and they took their seats.

Rita handed Lori the clipboard.

"Just fill that out, and then we can go back"

"Don't you usually do this?"

Rita nodded. "Yes, but you're old enough to do it yourself now," she said. "And you'll have to fill these out for your child all the time. Might as well get used to it."

Lori sighed as she turned to the small stack of papers in front of her.

It was simple things like her full name, date of birth, and social security number, but this was something that she wasn't used to doing. When she and her siblings went to the doctor, her parents would fill out all of the paperwork.

This was the first time that she realized that it was time for her to do things on her own. It starts with simple things like this, but in a few months she'll have to start making decisions for another person.

She managed to fill it out, and gave it back to Samantha.

"Thanks sweetheart," she said as she received the papers. "The nurse will be with you shortly."

Lori went back to her seat.

"How are you feeling?", Rita asked her.

"I'm kinda nervous"

"Mm that's normal, Rita said, grabbing Lori's hand. "It will be kinda weird at first, trust me, I've been through this ten times, but you'll get used to it."

"Is it gonna hurt?"

Rita bobbed her head as she thought. "Not really, it's just…uncomfortable."

Lori bit her lip.

"Don't worry, sweetie," Rita said, reassuringly. "You'll be fine."

"Lori Loud?"

They turned their heads to the door, where a nurse was standing.

They stood up, and followed her through the door. She led them to a room on the far left.

"The doctor will be with you shortly."

Lori climbed up onto the examination table, while Rita and Bobby sat in chairs.

"I'm actually kind of excited now," Lori said.

Bobby grabbed her hand. "Me too."

Rita smiled as she looked at the couple. "It is isn't it?"

"Do they do an ultrasound at this one?"

"Sometimes they will," Rita said. "They may do it to see how far along you are."

"I think I'm about eight weeks," Lori said. "Lisa told me I was."

"Lisa told you?"

Lori nodded. "Yeah, she has an ultrasound machine in her room, and she performed one on me," she said.

Rita pinched the bridge of her nose. "That girl is something else," she said. "Don't worry she's not in trouble, but you know how I feel about her performing exams on you guys."

"I know, Mom," Lori said. "She just wanted to help me."

"I know, I know," Rita said. "Let's just see what the doctor says."

There was a knock on the door, and in stepped a woman, who was about Rita's age.

"Good morning, everyone," she said as she stepped in the room. "Hi, Lori, I'm Doctor Roth. It's been a long time since I've seen you, but your mother had told me so much."

"I'm sure she has," Lori said. She turned to Bobby. "Oh, and this is my boyfriend, Bobby."

He stood up and held out his hand. "Nice to meet you."

Dr. Roth shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, too," she said. "Are you the father?"

He shook his head. "Yes, ma'am."

"Great!", she said, pulling out Lori's paperwork. "Now, let's see what we have here."

"You're seventeen years old, correct?"

Lori nodded. "Correct."

"Well, I usually ask about faking medical history, but I've known your mom for a long time so I won't need to," the doctor turned to Bobby. "However, is there anything about your family I should know about? Any birth defects or complications during pregnancy?"

Bobby thought for a moment. "I have a cousin who has Down Syndrome," he told her.

"Ah, then we can test for that," said Dr. Roth. "That won't be until around fifteen weeks or so though. Do you know when you had your last period?"

"A couple months ago"

"Okay, so then you're probably around eight weeks, but we can do any ultrasound to make sure," the doctor told her. "Right now, I'll need to take a urine sample, and some blood."

Lori shivered, and she felt Bobby squeeze her hand.

"It'll be okay, Babe," he said. "It's for the baby."

She took a few deep breaths. "For the baby."

"That's my girl"

Lori got off of the table and followed the doctor to the bathroom. This was the start of a long journey.

* * *

After many needles, and a cup of pee later, it was time for the thing that was most anticipated: The chance to look at the little bundle of joy.

"Alright, so I will call you in about a week or so to let you know if we find anything that's abnormal, so if you don't hear anything, then we can assume that everything is fine, okay?", Dr. Roth told them. "Now it's time for the part you've probably been waiting for."

"This isn't the kind of ultrasound you're probably thinking of though," the doctor said. She went over to the ultra machine, and picked up a long probe. "Since it is still early, I'll be doing a transvaginal ultrasound."

Lori's eyes went wide as she stared at the probe. "So that will be going in my…?", she asked nervously.

Dr. Roth nodded. "Yes, this will help me get a better look at the embryo," she said. She saw the look on Lori's face. "Don't be scared, it doesn't really hurt."

"Hey, look at me, Babe," Bobby said, reassuringly. "I'll be right here the whole time."

Lori looked over to Bobby, then to her mom. She had the same look that she had when Lori got her driver's license, and when she graduated middle school.

The smile of a proud mother.

She sighed as she laid back on the table, slipping her pants down so that the doctor had access to her lady parts. She closes her eyes, and squeezed Bobby's hand as she felt it enter her body.

"There we go, all set," Dr. Roth said, turning her head to the screen. "Now let's see what we have here."

The screen showed a black spot that was about the half the size of the screen. Inside was a white figure, that was less than half an inch long.

"This is the amniotic sac," she said, pointing to the spot. "The baby is right there."

There was a small figure, shaped like a bean. It was moving ever so slightly, and it's heart could be seen beating in its tiny chest.

Although Lori had seen the baby a little less than a week ago, her heart still skipped a beat seeing it on the screen.

"It's about half an inch long, the size of a raspberry," she continued. "Everything seems to be developing well."

Lori could feel tears beginning to form in her eyes, and she looked over at Bobby. He was wiping his eyes on his shirt.

"Can you believe it, Babe?", he said softly. "That's our baby."

She nodded slowly. "It is our baby," she said as she leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

Rita also felt the intense joy that they were feeling, as she too found herself shedding a few tears.

This was a position that she had found herself in many times. Being the mother of eleven children, pregnancy has become a normal part of her life.

She was used to all of the tests, and the morning sickness, and the back pain.

But the ultrasounds were always special. Each pregnancy is unique, and with it brings a new human being into this world.

The feeling that she felt seeing each of her babies on the screen, can't be described in words.

And to see one of those babies experiencing the same feeling, it made her feel as if she had accomplished her one true goal in life.

To see her kids have happy lives.

She could remember being in this same spot, almost eighteen years ago. All the emotions, they came flooding back.

* * *

_Seventeen years ago…_

_Rita Loud was enjoying her life. She had just married the love of her life, and she couldn't be happier._

_They bought a little house in the suburbs of Detroit, a town by the name of Royal Woods._

_Lynn Loud was a wonderful man, she fell for him hard. He was so cute with his British accent from when he studied in college. They just couldn't resist each other._

_One of the biggest things that they wanted to do together though, was to start a family._

_They didn't really talk about how big exactly, all they knew was that they both wanted kids._

_Trying wasn't very hard either, as all it took was that one night after their wedding._

_"Honey, come look!"_

_Lynn ran into the bathroom to see his wife looking excitedly at something on the counter._

_"What is it?"_

_She picked up a little white stick from the counter. "Do you see this?", she said, pointing at it. "There's two little pink lines."_

_His eyes grew wide. "Does that mean?"_

_She threw her arms around his neck. "I'm pregnant!"_

_He felt his eyes start to water. "That's amazing news, honey," he said, kissing her on the lips. "I'm so happy."_

* * *

"Mom, are you okay?"

Rita was broken from her thoughts by the sound of Lori's voice.

"Oh yes, I'm fine, honey," she said, wiping her eyes. "I just can't believe that's my grandbaby."

"It is amazing isn't it?", Dr. Roth said. "You're both looking amazing, too. Do you want pictures?"

"Yes, please"

Dr. Roth removed the probe from Lori, and printed out the ultrasound pictures.

"Here ya go, darling," she said as she handed the pictures to Lori. "I won't have to see you for another month, and I'll give you my nurse's number in case you have any problems."

"Though, you practically have a child rearing expert living in your house," she said, looking at Rita. "Are you two planning on having any more?"

Rita shook her head. "No, we both agreed that Lily would be the last one."

"Aw, she's a cutie," said Dr. Roth. "You're due for an appointment soon, too I believe. Talk to Samantha about it."

"Will do, come you two," Rita said, gesturing for Lori and Bobby to follow.

They followed her out the door, and as they got into Vanzilla, they sat together in the back.

The couple exchanged the pictures, talking happily and pointing at their baby.

Rita watched them through the mirror as she drove down the road. She loved how Lori always seemed to stay positive, even through hard times. Bobby really complemented that too. The future was uncertain, but there was one thing she did know:

Lori had found her soulmate.

* * *

"I can't hear anything!"

"Let me try!

Lana put her ear up to Lori's belly. "I can't hear it either!", she exclaimed. "Are you sure there's a baby in there?"

"Of course there is, Lana!", Lola yelled at her twin. "Lori wouldn't lie about something like that!"

"Girls, girls," Lori said calmly. "You won't be able to hear anything for awhile. The baby has to get bigger."

"Hey baby! You need to grow, you hear me?!", Lana yelled.

"Stop it Lana! You're going to scare it!", Lola yelled, jumping after Lana.

"Hey! You two stop it right now!," Luna yelled as she came into the room.

She managed to push them off of each other.

"What was that about?", she asked them.

"Lana was scaring Lori's baby!", Lola said, pointing a finger at Lana.

"I was not!", Lana yelled.

"Stop yelling, this house is already loud enough as it is," Luna said.

"I just wanted to see if I could hear the baby," Lola said.

"Me too!", said Lana.

Luna patted their heads. "I know, and it's okay," she said. "Just try to be nice, okay?"

"Okay," they said together.

The twins ran up the stairs, leaving Lori and Luna alone in the living room.

"Those two are something aren't they?", Lori said.

Luna laughed. "Heh, yeah they are," she said as she sat down next to Lori. "How are you feeling sis?"

"Better, I haven't gotten sick as much, but I've been feeling really tired."

"I see, well that's good"

Lori could see the sad look on her face.

"Is there something wrong, Luna?"

Luna sighed. "It's nothing, I just…"

"Just what?," Lori put her hand on her shoulder. "I'm your big sister, you can tell me anything."

"I…I don't want to say it," she said. "You'll get mad."

"Why would I get mad?"

"Because…," she turned her head away. "It's about you…"

Lori was taken aback. "You're upset with me?"

Luna nodded.

"But you said you were happy that I'm having a baby?"

"I am, it's just…"

"Just what?"

"How could you bring another mouth to feed into this house?", Luna asked. "Especially since you're always telling us about how Mom and Dad only have so much money."

Lori's mouth dropped open. She couldn't believe what she had just said.

"Are you serious right now?!", Lori exclaimed.

"I am," Luna said. "Because I can't believe after all the times you've told me to be responsible, you couldn't follow your own advice."

Lori was fuming now. She couldn't believe Luna would throw this up in her face.

"Oh yeah?", Lori said, getting in Luna's face. "Says the one who always sneaks out to see her girlfriend. Do you know how many times I've had to cover for your ass?"

"You have no room to talk, Luna," Lori continued. "You're the most irresponsible one in this house. It's surprising that Mom and Dad even let you go out on your own."

Luna held her breath. She balled up her fists and tried to ignore the hot tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"I don't have to deal with this," Luna said, as she headed for the door.

"Where do you think you're going?!", Lori yelled after her.

"Somewhere where I'm actually wanted," she said as she slammed the door.

Lori hadn't noticed her other siblings standing at the stairs. The twins looked scared, while the others had worried looks on their faces.

"What was that about?", Lynn asked.

Lori went back over to the couch, and covered her face with her hands. "I'm literally such ah idiot."

"No you're not, Lori," Lincoln said.

"Yes, I am," Lori said, she now had tears falling down her face. "Luna ran off because of me."

"She's not happy that I'm having a baby, and I should've expected at least one of you guys to be mad, but Luna?," Lori said.

Luan sat down next to her, and rubbed her back. "I'm sorry about that, Lori," she said. "If I'm being honest, I've been kinda worried myself."

"What? Why?"

"Having a baby, at seventeen, isn't a joke," Luan said. "And I know when to joke."

Lori looked up at her younger siblings standing in front of her. "Is anyone else upset?"

The twins raised their hands.

"You two?", she asked, surprised. "But you guys were so happy earlier."

"It's not that we aren't happy," Lola started.

"Because we really are," Lana continued.

"It's just…"

They went up and hugged Lori's legs.

"What if when the baby comes, you won't be able to spend time with us anymore?", Lola cried.

"You won't be able to read me bedtime stories anymore," Lana said.

"Or help me with my pageants," Lola said.

Lori's heart fell a bit in her chest. She has no idea that some of the felt this way.

She picked up the twins and sat them in her lap.

"Aw you guys, of course when the baby gets here, I'll be busy, but," she hugged them to her chest. "I'll never stop spending time with you both when I can."

"You really mean it?", Lana asked.

"I promise"

"Pinky promise?", Lola asked, holding out her pinky.

Lori wrapped her pinky with Lola's. "I pinky promise."

"I hate to break up this moment but," Lisa said, stepping forward. "I also have some concerns that I would like to discuss, but it seems that you are already stressed, and I do not want to put extra stress on our niece or nephew, so I will wait."

Lori patted her head. "That's okay, Lisa," she said. "We can talk about it later."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out her ultrasound pictures. "Until then, who wants to see pictures of the baby?"

Many gasps and "me's!" could be heard as they all hopped over to the couch to catch a peek at their niece or nephew.

Though Lori couldn't fully enjoy the moment, as she still had that feeling in her heart.

She had disappointed one of her sisters, and she wasn't sure if she could ever make it up to her.

She looked over, and saw Bobby standing in the doorway leading to the dining room, with a goofy grin on his face.

She smiled back at him, and somehow she knew that everything would be okay.

Bobby really had that effect on her.

* * *

_Bzzt!_

She heard her phone go off, and looked at it to see a new test message.

_Hey, is it okay if I come and stay with you for a bit?_

She didn't hesitate to text back.

_Sure! I'll leave the door unlocked._

_Thanks, Sun_

_No problem, Moon_


	8. Luna's Dilemma

**Tuesday, September 12**

**8 weeks and 3 days**

* * *

Luna woke up to the smell of pancakes and bacon, something that she had grown accustomed to in her house.

Though, this time was different. The house was much quieter, and her bed was much comfier.

Wait…that's probably because she wasn't in her house…or her bed.

She looked over to see a girl with blonde hair laying next to her, their fingers intertwined.

The girl rolled over, and opened her eyes.

"Good morning, Moon," she said groggily.

Luna gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Good morning, Sun."

After her fight with Lori yesterday, Luna went to a place she considered her second home. Where she could be with the one person she trusted more than anyone else, besides her family of course.

Her girlfriend, Sam.

"How are you feeling?", Sam asked.

"Better, but I'm still pretty upset," Luna said.

Sam frowned. She thought that maybe after their talk last night that she would feel better.

* * *

_Sam was surprised as she watched Luna walk through the door with an angry expression. She knew that Luna had fights with her siblings, but was it really this bad?_

_She led Luna to her room, where they had a discussion._

" _What exactly happened?", Sam asked._

" _Well…ya see Lori is pregnant"_

_Sam's eyes widened. She wasn't expecting that, but she wasn't one to judge._

" _Oh really?"_

_Luna nodded. "Yeah, and I was happy at first, don't get me wrong I still am, it's just…"_

_Sam put her hand on Luna's shoulder. "What is it?"_

" _My parents already struggle enough as it is, and Lori wants to bring in another mouth to feed?"_

" _But did Lori mean to get pregnant?"_

" _I don't know, dude," Luna said._

" _You should talk to her. She is your sister"_

_Luna pouted. She knew that Sam was right, even though she didn't want to admit it._

" _I don't know…"_

" _Here," Sam said as she pulled down the covers on her bed. "Why don't you get some sleep and then we can talk about it tomorrow, okay?"_

_She leaned forward and gave Luna a peck on the lips._

" _Yeah, that'll be great"_

* * *

"You're still mad at Lori, huh?"

Luna sighed. "Yeah, I know when I get home it'll be a storm."

Sam scooted close to her, and caressed her face. "Your family is pretty crazy, but that's why you love them, right?"

Luna put her hand on top of Sam's. "Yeah, that's right."

"Lori is probably scared, and she needs support," Sam said. "That's why I don't think it's healthy to run away from her."

"I just can't believe she'd be so careless"

"Not everyone is careful, Luna," Sam said with a smirk. "Even you and I know that."

Luna thought back to what Lori had said last night:

" _You're the most irresponsible one in this house"_

Those words actually hurt. Lori had no right to throw it up in her face.

But, maybe Sam was right. Luna was known to be somewhat irresponsible. She would often break curfew, and even drank alcohol that one time.

Luna knew that neither of them were in the right. She had a right to be upset, but Lori didn't have to blow up at her.

But Sam's words sunk into her.

_She needs support_

She knew that Lori probably didn't get pregnant on purpose, so this was something that was new to her as well.

"You're right, Sam," Luna said, grabbing her hand. "I need to go talk to Lori." She remembered just how scary Lori could be, and that she may not be so happy to see her. "Will you come with me?"

Sam put her other hand on top of Luna's. "Of course," she said, giving her a kiss on the nose. "Let's eat breakfast first, though."

* * *

"You haven't done anything wrong, Babe"

"Yes, I have," Lori said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I let my little sister down."

Lori thought back to last night. She knew that Luna was disappointed in her, but she was also disappointed in herself.

She's supposed to be a good role model for her siblings, and she felt as though she had let them all down.

"Luna will come around, I just know it," Bobby said, wrapping his arms around her. "You two are sisters, I know you love each other."

"I hope she knows that, too," Lori said. "I love her more than anything." She looked down. "But maybe she's right."

Bobby looked at her. "Right about what?"

"That I am irresponsible," Lori said. "I knew that we were supposed to use protection, and I forgot to take my birth control."

"Hey, she can't blame this all on you," he said, putting his hand on her belly. "If anyone should take the blame, it's me."

She put her hand on top of his. "Don't do that, Boo Boo Bear," she said. "We both did this, it was an accident."

"But, it was a good accident," he said. "Babies aren't accidents."

She sniffled. "You're right," she said, softly. "And I'm sorry for even thinking that." She took his hand, and rubbed her belly. "I love them so much already, and I'll never think of them as a mistake."

He leaned down and kissed her belly. "I won't either, and I love them, too," he said. "And I think Luna does too, she just needs some time."

She threw her arms around him, and he hugged her back. "You always know how to make me feel better, Bobby."

He smiled. "I know, that's why you're my girlfriend."

"Lori! Someone is here to see you!", Lynn yelled from downstairs.

"I wonder who it could be?", Lori said.

They got up, and headed downstairs. They stopped at the bottom when they saw Sam, standing there with Luna.

"Hey sis…", Luna said, timidly.

"Luna, hi," Lori said.

"Can we talk?", Luna asked, looking down at her feet.

"Of course," Lori said.

The sisters headed upstairs to Lori's room.

Once there, Lori shut and locked the door behind her. She led Luna over to her bed.

"I guess I should start by saying," Luna said. She looked up at Lori. "I'm sorry."

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry," Lori said. "I'm supposed to set an example for you, and I let you down."

"Lori, what I said was way harsh," Luna said. "I should have been more thoughtful."

"But I'm the one who went out and got pregnant at seventeen, Lori said. "You have a right to be angry with me."

Luna's mouth fell open. "Don't say that about yourself, Lori," she said. "If anything, I should be the one saying bad things about myself."

"What do you mean?"

"I could never be as responsible as you," Luna said. "You've always taken care of us, way more than you need to."

"I always stay out late, I've even done illegal things, but you," she said, pointing at Lori. "You've never done anything wrong like I have, and this," she pointed to Lori's belly. "Isn't something I should be angry about."

"Luna, I'm not perfect," Lori said. "But, you're right. My baby isn't a mistake, and I need to stop thinking that way."

Luna put her hand on her shoulder. "I've been a bad sister, Lori," she said, her voice shaking. "You're scared, and-and I should have been more supportive. I promise, I'll be here for you no matter what."

Lori could feel tears threatening to fall. "I am scared, so scared. This past week has been a rollercoaster," she said, wiping her eyes. "But I need to remember this." She pulled Luna into a hug. "I'm so lucky that I have a family who loves me, and supports me like you guys do."

Luna closed her eyes as she felt the tears come down her face. "You know I do, Lori. You're my big sister," she said. "And I love you so much, and the baby too."

"I love you too, Luna," Lori said. "And I know the baby does, too. They're lucky to have an aunt like you."

Luna sniffled. "I can't wait."

* * *

"Who does your hair? I totes love it!", Leni asked.

"Actually, I did this myself," Sam said, grabbing the piece of blue hair.

"Oh, Sam! Look at what I made!", Lana yelled as she ran up to her with a pile of mud in her hands. "I made you a mud pie, with extra worms too."

Sam took it from her. "Aw, thanks Lana," she said. "How are your lizards doing?"

"They're good, one of them had babies last week."

"I bet they're cuties!"

"Gaga!", Lily crawled over and reached her hands up to San.

"Aw, hi Lily," she said as she picked her up, and sat her in her lap.

"Do you think Lori and Luna will be done soon?", Lola asked.

"Give them time, sweetie," Rita said.

Just then, Lori and Luna came walking down the stairs, smiling and holding hands.

"Are you two okay, now?", Lincoln asked.

They looked at each other.

"Yeah, we are," Lori said.

"That's good to hear, girls, it really is," said Lynn Sr. "Also Lori, come talk to me later, okay?"

"Will do, Dad," she said. "Right now, I just…want to thank all of you guys for supporting Bobby and I. This past week has been so scary, but you guys helped make it better."

"Of course we support you Lori!", Lola said, hugging her leg. "I can't wait to be an aunt!"

"Oh yeah, congrats you two," Sam said.

"Thanks, Sam," Bobby said.

Luna walked over to the couch, where San was sitting. "Thanks for coming with me, Sun."

"Of course," she started. "I know how important your sisters are to you, and it was important that we get this solved."

"Yeah, and we did," Luna said. "So now everything will be okay."

"Hey, Sam," Lynn asked. "Mom wants to know if you'd like to stay for lunch."

Sam smiled. "I'd love to."

* * *

Lunchtime soon came, and the kids were all served with their dad's "famous" grilled turkey and cheese sandwiches. They always looked forward to their dad's cooking, but Lori especially did now.

The strong cravings were still so new to her, and she felt so happy when they were satisfied. She had also asked her dad for a chocolate milkshake, to which he made her one special.

She was about to take drink of it, when it was suddenly taken away, and replaced with a glass of green stuff.

Lori turned around to see Lynn holding her milkshake. "What is this?"

"It's a protein shake," Lynn said, putting her hand on her hip. "It's good for the baby, not this sweet junk."

Lori tried her best not to yell at Lynn, as she knew she had good intentions. "I know it's good for the baby, but I'm really craving the chocolate," she told her. "So can I please have it back? I'll drink this after, I promise."

Lynn raised a brow. "Alright, as long as you drink it," she said, placing the milkshake back on the table. "I want my niece or nephew to be strong, like their Aunt Lynn."

"I know, sis," Lori said. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Lynn said as she went to take her seat.

"Hey Lori"

Lori looked up to see Lana looking at her.

"Yes, Lana?"

"When do we get to find out what the baby is?"

Lori and Bobby looked at each other.

"I think we're gonna wait until they're born to find out," Bobby said. "It'll be more fun that way."

"That's right"

Lana slumped down in her seat. "Aw, but I wanna know now!"

"No yelling at the table, Lana," Lynn Sr said. "You'll get to find out when they say you can."

"Yeah, Lana," Lola said. "Plus you didn't even ask the most  _important_ question." She looked at Lori. "What is their name gonna be?"

Lori and Bobby looked at each other again.

"We haven't really talked about it yet, Lola," Lori said. "But when we do, we may tell you guys which ones we have picked."

"Oh yes!", Lola said. "I can't wait, my niece will have the prettiest name."

"How do you know it's a girl, Lola?", Lana asked. "It could be a boy."

Lana and Lola then began to argue.

"Girls, I won't say it again," Lynn Sr, irritated. "No yelling at the table."

"Sorry Daddy," they said in unison.

"Whatever the baby is, doesn't really matter to us," Lori said. "We'll love them no matter what."

"I hope it is a girl," Leni said. "Girls have the best clothes."

"I want a boy," Luan said. "It's been a long time since we've had a boy in the house.

The girls all looked at Lincoln.

"What?," he asked, looking up from his plate.

"What do you want the baby to be?", Lynn asked.

"I'm fine with whatever," he began. "But a boy would be nice."

"Is it so you won't feel so alone?", Lucy asked.

The sisters looked at each other.

"Lucy, why would you ask something like that, dude?", Luna said.

"I've heard Lincoln talk to himself sometimes, while I'm in the vents," Lucy said. "He's said how he wishes he had another boy in the house."

"We knew that, but I think she meant the "alone" part," Luan said.

Lincoln sank in his seat. "Don't worry about it, guys," he said. "I'll be happy with a boy or a girl."

"I'm glad you think so, Lincoln," Lori said, giving him a little smile.

Luna turned to Sam. "See? My family is crazy," she said.

Sam laughed. "It's fun being here though," she said. "There's always someone to talk to."

"I like being here, too," Bobby said. He turned to Leni. "Though I don't know how you deal with Lori's sleep farts."

The whole table erupted in laughter.

"Boo Boo Bear!", Lori shouted, her face turning red.

He grabbed her hand. "Aw, you know I'm just playing, Babe," he said. "I love being here with you."

"And I like having you here," Lori said.

"Me too," Leni said. "Like I totally love it when you let me use you as a male model. I have Lincoln too, but he wears child sizes. Now I get to do teens!"

"Aw, I love doing that for you, Leni," Bobby said. "All of you guys are great."

It was always crazy at the Loud house, and nothing was ever boring.

It was even better when they added new people to the mix. They had all practically welcomed Sam and Bobby to the family.

"Well, I guess it's time for me to go," Sam said, getting up. "Lunch was delicious, Mr. Loud."

"Thank you, Sam," Lynn Sr. said. "We enjoyed having you here."

"Want me to walk you out?", Luna asked.

"Yeah, let's go"

The couple headed to the door.

"Oh hey, Lori"

Lori turned to her dad. "Yeah?"

"Meet me in my room after you finish up, I'd like to talk to you."

"Alright," Lori said. She took a sip of her milkshake, and tried to ignore that chilling feeling that something was wrong.

Only time would tell.

* * *

After everything from lunch had been cleaned up, Lori headed to her parents' room, where her dad was waiting for her.

"Hey, sweetie," Lynn Sr said, patting on the bed. "Come sit down."

Lori entered the room with caution. She made her way to the bed, and sat down next to him.

"Am I in trouble?"

He shook his head. "Not at all," he said. "I just feel like we haven't had a chance to talk about things. You've talked to your mom, your siblings, your boyfriend. I wanted to talk with just the two of us."

"Oh…okay"

"I'm sorry if I've been kinda distant lately," he said. "I know that right now you need everyone to support you, and I'm trying my hardest."

"It's just hard for me to believe that one of my babies is having a baby."

Lori looked down. "You're not disappointed in me?"

"I was at first," he said. "Your mother and I, we tried so hard to drill into you kids, to always be safe. I'm glad you were open with us about you and Bobby having sex. We bought you condoms, and put you on birth control."

"And just to hear that you were careless when it came to giving yourself away, that hurt me."

Lori could feel the aching in her stomach. Her throat felt as if it had a lump that would prevent her from talking.

"Dad, I-I'm so sorry," she said, her voice hoarse and shaky.

He looked up at her. "I know you are, honey," he said, softly. "And that's where I wanted to go next."

"You don't have to apologize for having a baby. Babies are precious. I'd know, I have eleven of them."

"I want you to know that I love you no matter what. Your sisters and your brother, you are all so precious to me. Nothing any of you could ever do would make me stop loving you."

Lori wiped her eyes as she felt the stream of tears. "You don't know how much hay means coming from you, Dad," she said. "All this time, I thought you were mad at me. So to know that you aren't makes me feel so much better."

He reached out and pulled her into a hug. "Oh no, baby, I could never be mad at you," he said, giving her a kiss on the head. "I'm still trying to take it all in, but I'm not mad. You're bringing a new blessing into this family. How could I be mad?"

Lori put her arms around him. "You're right, babies are blessings. But there's also the issues with our financial situation, and this house is so small. How can we all fit?"

"We'll figure out something, let me and your mom worry about that for now," he said. "Right now, let's focus on making sure you and the baby are healthy." He put his hand on her belly. "That's my grandchild in there."

"Yeah, it is," Lori said. "And you wanna know something? Anytime you guys touch my belly, I feel it move."

"Really?"

"It's so small, but I can feel it," she said. "They love you guys already."

"That's wonderful, honey," he said. "Pregnancy is a beautiful thing. I went through it with your mother ten times, and I loved every minute of it."

"Seeing each of you kids come into this world is something I will always cherish, and the journey getting there is even more special."

"This is a time when you and Bobby can really bond with each other. I know you're already in love, but this is something that is special between the two of you."

"That baby, it's something that both of you created. It's made of you, and it's made of him. Do you know how amazing that is?"

"Take these next few months to learn more about each other. Spend as much time together as you can because trust me, once this baby gets here, you won't have any time together."

"Thanks, Dad," Lori said. "I love you."

"I love you, too, sweetheart."

* * *

One of Lori's favorite things to do was check on her siblings at night. It was one of those things she felt was a privilege as the oldest sibling, she had to always make sure her younger siblings were doing okay.

Every night before bed, she'd walk through the halls and check up on each of them.

She peeped her head into Luna and Luan's room.

All that could be heard was the muffled music from Luna's headphones, and Luan's snoring.

Next was Lynn and Lucy.

Lucy was fast asleep in her coffin, while Lynn was still awake. She was laying on her bed, throwing a tennis ball back and forth.

"Try not to be so loud with that, Lynn"

"Yeah, yeah"

She went to the twins' room next.

Lola was asleep already, while Lana was busy feeding her pets last minute.

"Are you almost done?"

Lana nodded. "Yeah, I was checking on the babies."

"Well, get to bed soon, okay?"

"Okay, good night"

She shut the door behind her, and went across the hall to Lisa and Lily's room.

She looked to her left, where Lily was asleep in her crib. She had a paci in her mouth, and a tight grip on her teddy bear.

She looked over to Lisa, who looked equally as cute. Her little legs curled up to her chest, and occasionally she could be caught sucking her thumb.

Lori couldn't help but let out a little "Aw" as she watched her two youngest siblings snooze.

Last but not least, was Lincoln.

He always went to bed on time, unless he got a new game to play. His light was still on, which indicated to her that he was probably still awake.

She quietly opened up the door, to see Lincoln laying on his bed, reading a comic book.

"Uh uh Lincoln," she said.

Lincoln almost fell out of his bed, as Lori's voice had scared him. "Aaaa!", he screamed.

"Oh crap, I'm so sorry, Linc"

He grabbed his comic from the floor, and sat it on his bed. "I-It's okay, I was done reading anyway."

"Don't stay up too late, okay?"

He nodded.

She lifted a brow. "Are you okay?"

He nodded again.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

He shook his head.

"Okay then," she said. "I'll let you sleep, good night."

"Night, Lori"

He watched as she turned off the light, and shut the door behind her. He got under his covers, and pulled them up to his neck.

"No, I can't talk to her about it," he said to himself. "Not right now, anyway. She has too many other things going on. She doesn't need to worry about me, too."

Lincoln fell asleep, thinking of what Lucy had said earlier.

_Is it so you won't feel so alone?_


	9. Oh, Brother

**Tuesday, October 31**

**15 weeks and 3 days**

* * *

Halloween was a holiday that the kids in Royal Woods looked forward to every year. It was a night filled staying up late, costumes, parties, and best of all: candy.

It was no different for the kids of the Loud house. The younger kids looked forward to dressing up and getting candy, while the older ones often accompanied them, or went out to parties.

They always went all out with decorations. Lining the yard with pumpkins, which they carved themselves, and other scary things courtesy of Lucy.

This year was no different, as it was Lori, Leni, and Luna's turn to take Lincoln and the younger sisters out to get candy. Luan and Lynn would stay home to hand out candy, and their parents were heading out to a costume party.

Bobby was away for the week. He was back in the city working and visiting his family. Lori didn't mind so much though, as he was making money they can use for the baby, and she knew how much Ronnie Anne missed him.

Lori was in her second trimester now. The morning sickness was nearly gone, but now she had new symptoms: Nose bleeds, heartburn, and shortness of breath.

Oh, and her belly had grown quite a bit. She did look pregnant, but only when she wore tight shirts. She still wasn't ready for people at school to know, so she swapped her usual blue tank top for more baggy t-shirts, much to Leni's dismay.

"Aw come on, Lori, look at all these cute clothes you could wear," Leni said, holding up some shirts she got from her closet.

Lori was standing in front of the mirror, where she was looking at herself. She had on a shirt that was the same color as her old one, but this one was baggy. She had to make sure her belly couldn't be seen. "No, Leni," she started. "I'm much more comfortable in this."

"But why?", Leni asked, a confused tone in her voice. "Don't you want everyone to see your cute little belly?"

Lori pushed down on her shirt so that her belly could be seen poking out. "Not yet," she said. "Well aside from you guys, I'm not ready for everyone else to know."

"Oh…", Leni said, looking at the floor.

"So, I guess painting it tonight is out of the question?", Luan said, poking her head in the door.

Lori turned around, her arms crossed. "No, though I literally think it would be cute," she said. "I just don't want anyone from school to see it just yet."

"Aw man, we were gonna have fun," Lynn said, popping up next to Luan.

"I know, and I would go for it, but you know how I feel"

"We understand, Lori," Luan said. "But can we maybe do it after~?"

"Hmm, we'll see"

The girls satisfied with that answer, left the room.

"Are you excited for tonight?", Leni asked.

"I'm excited for the kids to have fun," Lori said. "Though, I haven't been feeling so well lately."

"Mom and Dad said that you can stay back and hand out candy with Luan and Lynn if you want," Leni told her.

Lori shook her head. "No, I want to see the kids have fun. That's always my favorite part of Halloween."

"You sure, sis?", Leni asked.

Lori nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I can't still go out and have fun."

"Alright, but let me know if you need anything okay?" Leni smiled and put her hand on Lori's shoulder.

She responded by putting her hand on top of Leni's. "Of course."

* * *

The evening came, and the house was bustling with kids who were excited to go out trick or treating.

Lincoln stepped out of his room, a big smile on his face. "I don't know if I should feel happy or humiliated." He had decided to go as a cat for Halloween, and Leni said she'd do the honors of doing his makeup.

Leni came out of her room, a smile on her face. "Aww look at how cute!", she said as she made her way to Lincoln.

"I'm not supposed to be cute, I'm supposed to be intimidating," he said, his hands on his hips.

Lori came out of her room, raising an eyebrow. "Please, Lincoln, you cried when your pet fish died," Lori said, rolling her eyes.

"He was a good fish!", Lincoln said, pouting.

"Don't worry about it, Linky," Leni said, taking out an eyeliner pencil. "I'll like make you look totes scary." She knelt down in front of him, grabbing his face so he wouldn't move.

Lincoln closed his eyes, and felt the pen drag across his face.

Leni stuck her tongue out in concentration, and stood up. "There, now look!", she exclaimed, pulling out a hand mirror.

Lincoln checked himself out in the mirror. He had black whiskers, and a little black nose. He grinned, and look at Leni. "It looks great! Thank you!"

"No problem, Linky"

"You look nice, Lincoln"

Lincoln jumped back as he heard Lucy pop up behind him. "Lucy! Stop doing that!"

"I'm a vampire, I can travel at the speed of light," she said, a little smirk on her face.

"Why are you even dressing up, Luce?", Lynn asked. "Don't you remember how last year you scared the neighbor's kids?"

"Yeah, and it wasn't even Halloween," Lincoln said.

Lucy shrugged her shoulders.

"Good luck getting any candy with  _those_  costumes," Lola said, strutting out of her room. She was dressed as a pink princess. "Do I look fabulous or what?"

"Not for long!"

Lola screamed as Lana tackled her to the ground.

"Help! Someone save me from this hideous dragon!", Lola yelled from the floor.

Before anyone could help, they both rolled over on their backs, laughing.

"Perfect Lana!", Lola said, getting up and dusting herself off. "Now  _that_  is how you get more candy."

"Oh please, you think  _that_  will maximize your chances of getting sugary confection?", Lisa said from inside her room.

She stepped out, wearing a blue and white checkered dress.

"Really Lisa?", Lola said. "Where did you find that old thing?"

"Leni helped me," Lisa said, smirking. "Besides, this isn't the best I could do."

The twins looked at her, their eyebrows raised.

A small barking sound could be heard.

"Did you guys leave Charles outside again?", Lincoln asked.

They shook their heads, and turned toward Lisa's room.

"Ruff ruff!", Lily said as she crawled out of her room, dressed as a black dog.

Lisa picked up her up, and placed her in a basket. "Everyone, meet my "Toto"".

"Awww!", they all said as they looked at Lisa and Lily.

"Cuteness is how you get candy," Lisa said.

Lana and Lola stuck their tongues out, and Lori came up to them.

"Are you guys almost ready to go?"

"We are, but how come you're not?", Lola asked.

Lori crossed her arms. "I'm not dressing up this year."

"Why not?", Lana asked.

"I just don't feel like it," Lori said. "Besides, I don't want to take all the attention away from you guys." She ruffled Lisa's hair. "You're all so cute."

"Well, you won't get any candy that way," Lola said, shrugging.

"Okay guys be honest"

They turned around to see Leni standing in the hallway, dressed as a deer. A big smiled on her face as she did a pose.

"How do I look?", she asked.

"So pretty!", Lola said.

"You look great, Leni", Lincoln said.

"Thanks guys," Leni said. "It took me like half an hour to do this makeup."

"Oh yeah, you think that took a long time?"

They looked as Luna stepped out of her room. Her face was painted to look like a skeleton.

"This," she pointed to her face. "Took me an hour."

"Nicely done, sis", Leni said, giving her a thumbs up.

"Are we all ready now?!", Lola said, stomping her feet. "I want some candy!"

"Now, now," Lori said. "Cranky princesses don't get candy."

Lola pouted.

"Lola, come on," Lori continued. "Put a smile on that face, and change that attitude, or you get to stay home, you hear me?"

Lola looked down, and nodded. "Yes, ma'am"

Lori put a hand under Lola's chin so that she looked up at her. "Hey why such a long face?", she asked. "You're going to get a bunch of candy, remember?"

Lola perked up, and smiled. "Can we go now?"

Lori looked around. "Yeah, let's go, kids," she said, standing up. "This baby is craving chocolate."

The kids cheered as Lori, Leni, and Luna led them down the stairs.

"Are you two gonna be okay here by yourselves?", Lori asked Luan and Lynn when they reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Of course, don't worry about us," Lynn said, waving her hand downwards.

Luan grabbed the bowl off the table. "Yeah, we got the best candy," she said. She leaned over to Lynn and said softly," "Best" as in the kind kids don't like."

She and Lynn burst out laughing.

"That means there's more for us!", Lynn said, wiping a tear from her eye.

"We'll be back later," Lori said, heading for the door. "Remember to keep the door locked when you're not using it."

The girls nodded.

The three teens led their younger siblings out the door, ready to take on the neighborhood.

The Louds lived in a well-off neighborhood in the suburbs, filled with big houses. Big houses meant more candy.

"Behold siblings," Lisa said, stopped in her tracks. She reached into the pocket of her dress, and pulled out a small pie chart. "If you'll look here, I have calculated the best houses to get the maximum amount of sweet confection, street name: candy."

"Nice job, Lisa!", Lola said, clapping her hands. " _Now_  we can really see who has the best costume."

Lisa put the chart back in her dress. "Yes, we will see."

They came up to their first stop. It was a house down the street that was about the same size as theirs. An older woman with graying blonde hair was standing on her porch, a big bowl in her hands.

The kids decided to go up all at once, so that their costumes would be fair game.

The woman smiled as she watched the kids come up the steps. "My what a big bunch we have here," she said. "What do we have?" she moved her head back and forth, observing them. "A kitty, a vampire, a big, scary dragon, a pretty princess, Dorothy, and aww a little Toto."

"Ruff ruff!", said Lily, crawling up to the porch, and sitting on her legs like a dog.

"You kids did a fantastic job!" the woman exclaimed. "You all get some candy."

They held out their buckets, and she dropped a handful of candy in them.

"Thank you!", they said as they headed back to their older sisters.

"Be careful, and Happy Halloween!", she yelled to them as they walked off.

"Look at how much  _I_  got!", Lola said, holding up her bucket.

"That's nothing," Lana said, holding up her bucket. "I got way more."

"On the contrary," Lisa said. "All of our costumes were so great, that we each got our fair share."

"Good job, guys," Lori said. "If you keep it up, you'll be eating candy for weeks."

Lana looked at Lori. Lori raised a brow at her. "What?", she asked.

"How come you didn't dress up?", Lana asked, a confused expression on her face.

"I just didn't really want to this year," Lori said, her eyes avoiding Lana's gaze.

Lana turned her head, like she was trying to understand. "Oooh, I get it," she said. "You're too old."

Luna chuckled, trying to avoid Lori's scowl. "Yes, Lana," Lori said. "I guess I am." She turned to look at her. "I didn't want to take away the attention from you kids."

"Oh, okay," Lana said, smiling.

They kept walking until they got to another house, this time a big red one.

Lori, Leni, and Luna stood on the curb. Watching as their younger siblings went to get some more candy.

"They're having fun this year, aren't they?", Luna said.

"Yeah, I totes haven't seen the twins get along like this in such a long time," Leni said.

Laughing could be heard nearby. Lori turned her head to look, and she felt cold sweat drip down her back.

She saw Carol and her little group, at the house next door. They were all dressed up, and laughing at who knows what.

Leni looked at her sister, a worried expression on her face. "Are you okay, Lori?", she asked, reaching out to put a hand on her shoulder.

Lori turned back to her sisters. "Yeah, I'm okay," she said, wiping her forehead.

Her expression quickly changed as she saw her six younger siblings running up to them.

"Look at how much I got!", Lincoln said, holding up his basket so they could see.

"Great job, guys," Leni said, reaching down to pick up Lily.

"Oh, Lori!"

Lori looked down to see Lana standing in front of her. "What is it, Lana?"

She reached into her bucket and pulled out a piece of chocolate. "I asked the lady for extra because I told her my sister was having a baby." She had a big smile on her face as she spoke. "You said the baby wanted some."

They heard a few gasps, and they all looked to see Carol and her friends looking at her. Their mouths wide open, and hands covering them.

Lori turned to look at Lana, her face red with anger. "Lana!"

Lana jumped back. "What?", she said. "What did I do?"

Lori pinched the bridge of her nose, and grabbed her hand. "Come on, let's go home."

"But, I haven't gotten enough candy yet!", Lana objected.

"You heard me, we're going," Lori said. " _Now_."

She turned to Leni and Luna. "Watch the others, and try to be home in the next half hour, okay?"

They nodded.

She began her walk back to the Loud house, Lana objecting the whole way.

She planted her feet on the ground, trying to get Lori to let go of her arm. Lori kept pulling at her. "Come on, Lana," she said, pulling her away. "I can do this the easy way, or the hard way."

She reached down, and picked Lana up, holding her bridal style.

"No, no!", she yelled. "I don't wanna go home!" She moved around, trying to get Lori to release her.

"Stop that, Lana," she said. "Do you wanna hurt the baby?"

Lana stopped moving around, and was quiet for a few seconds.

Lori heard her sniffle. "I-I don't wanna hurt the baby," she cried, little tears in her eyes. "I just want candy."

Lori frowned when she saw her face. "You got candy, sweetie," she said. "It's almost your bedtime anyway."

"But you said I hurt the baby!", Lana sobbed.

They made their way up the walkway of the Loud house. A few kids standing on the porch.

"Excuse me guys, we live here," Lori said, pushing through the little crowd.

Before she could open it, Luan and Lynn appeared at the door. Their gaze fell upon Lori, and a crying Lana in her arms.

"What happened?", Lynn asked.

"I'll explain in a bit," Lori told them. "First, I'll need to get inside."

Luan and Lynn parted enough so that Lori could make her way inside. She headed to the couch, and sat Lana down gently. She grabbed her bucket of candy so that it wouldn't spill.

Lana sat on the couch, tears coming down her face, and snot dripping out of her nose. "W-What did I do?", she said, wiping her nose on her costume. "Did I hurt the baby?"

Lori knelt down in front of her. "Lana, please just…listen to me."

Lana looked at her, her face full of sadness.

"I didn't want anyone to know about the baby yet," Lori said. "When you handed me the chocolate, there were girls standing nearby that I know and…now the know."

Lana looked at her, trying to understand. "I said too much?"

Lori nodded. "Yes, and now kids at school are gonna know."

Lana started to cry harder. "Oh Lori!", she yelled, grabbing onto her. "I'm so sorry!"

Lori patted her on the back. "It's okay, Lana," she said, soothingly. "I'm not mad."

Lana wiped her eyes. "Then why did you take me away?"

"Because I felt that this was something we needed to discuss together, in private," Lori said. "Ya know, not in front of people."

"Oooh, I get it," Lana said. She leaned up and looked at her. "But Lori, you didn't answer the most important question!"

"What is it?"

" _Did I hurt the baby?_ ", Lana asked, her voice shaky.

Lori shook her head. "No, sweetie," she said, grabbing her hand. "The baby is just fine."

"How do you know?"

"Because," she took Lana's hand and pressed it against her belly. "I can feel them moving right now."

She watched as Lana's face lit up. "You feel it?", she asked, Lana nodding her head, a big smile on her face.

"I do! I finally do!", Lana said.

"Good," Lori said. "Now let's go get you ready for bed, then we can eat some of this candy tomorrow, okay?" She kissed Lana's forehead. "I know the baby will love it." She winked.

Lana smiled and winked back. She grabbed her bucket of candy, and headed upstairs.

Luan and Lynn came in the house, shutting the door behind them.

"Is everything okay?", Luan asked.

"Yeah, it is now," Lori answered.

"Are you sure?", Lynn asked. "Because you don't look so good."

"I'm sure, guys," she said, waving her hands. "I'm gonna go help Lana get ready for bed." She began heading towards the stairs. "Watch for the others, okay? They should be backs soon."

The girls nodded.

Lori walked up the stairs, and made her way up to the top. She felt her legs collapse beneath her, falling to her knees. She could feel the tears still poking at her eyes, waiting to be released. She crawled over to a spot by the stairs, sitting so that her back was up against the wall, and she put her legs up against her.

She let the tears fall from her eyes, trying her hardest to be quiet, as to not alarm her sisters.

She knew that Lana didn't mean to reveal her secret to everyone, she just wanted to help her. She knew she loved her and the baby so much, she couldn't be mad. But now she thought about how it would be hard to go to school, with everyone knowing that she was pregnant.

They'd call her names, names she couldn't dare repeat in her mind. She thought to how they were calling that other girl names. She didn't deserve it. Girls were so mean.

They didn't understand what it meant to have another person growing inside them, the feeling of little flutters in their belly. The thought that one day, they'll have someone looking to them for advice. That same someone will cry for many hours of the night, but it's worth it because  _you love them_. They'll come home one day, telling you about the new friends they made at school.

Lori smiled as those thoughts flowed through her head.  _Yeah, they just don't understand._

"Oh gosh! Lori!"

She looked up to see Leni standing in front of her. "Are you okay?"

Lori wiped her eyes. "Y-Yeah I'm fine," she said, her voice shaky.

Leni knelt down in front of her. "Are you sure?"

Lori shook her head. Leni frowned and put her hand on her shoulder. "Let's go to our room."

She pulled Lori's hands to help her up, and they headed to their room.

* * *

"I thought Lori was going to help me get ready for bed?", Lana asked, getting into her bed.

"She had some stuff to take care of, sweetie," Luna said as she sat down on the bed next to her.

"What kinda stuff?", Lana asked, her face curious.

Luna thought for a moment. "Grown up things," she said. "Let's not worry about it." She got up and went over to the bookshelf. "Which story do you want tonight?"

"The one about the snake!", Lana said happily.

Luna grabbed the book off the shelf, and went back to her. As she began reading to her, she noticed that Lana seemed a bit restless.

"What's the matter, Lans?", Luna asked.

"Is Lori okay?", she asked.

Luna closed the book, and moved closer to her. "Yes, she'll be fine," she said. "Lori is a big girl, she can take care of herself."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive," Luna told her. "Now, how about we get some sleep little dudette?"

Lana laid her head on the pillow, and Luna pulled the covers up to her neck. "Sleep tight, don't let your snakes bite," Luna said softly. She bent down and gave Lana a kiss on the forehead.

She made her way out of the room, and closed the door slowly behind her. As she headed to her room, she saw that Lori and Leni's light was still on.

She knocked on their door softly.

"Come in"

Luna peeked her head in the door, and she saw Lori and Leni sitting together on Leni's bed.

"Hey guys," Luna said as she walked into the room. "Is everything okay, now?"

Leni nodded, while Lori shrugged.

Luna sat down with them. "Still upset huh?"

Lori nodded.

"I know Lana is sorry," Luna told her. "I just put her to bed, and she wouldn't stop talking about you."

"I know she didn't mean it," Lori said. "It's just…I don't know." She looked up at her sisters. "Maybe I'm just making a big deal of this, I mean I'm pregnant and I have hormones going everywhere. I'm bound to overreact right?"

Luna put a hand on her shoulder. "I think you did the right thing," she said. "Lana will get over it by tomorrow."

"I sure hope so," Lori said. "But what am I supposed to do about school?" She looked down. "I just know Carol and her cronies have already spread it around."

Leni and Luna looked at each other.

"You don't have to worry, sis," Luna said. "Leni and I will be there with you."

"Yeah, and so will Bobby," Leni said. "If anyone messed with you, they have to deal with us."

Lori looked up. "You guys are right," she said. "I mean people were going to find out about it anyway, I guess it's better they did now, right?"

"Don't worry about those girls, Lori," Luna said. "What's important right now, is that you focus on school and your baby."

"That's true," Lori said. "Those are the most important things right now."

"Oh, I almost forgot," Leni said, reaching into her purse. "After you left, this girl came up to me." She pulled out a piece of paper. "She said she wanted you to call her." She handed the paper to Lori. "Oh, and I think she was pregnant, too."

Lori took the piece of paper out of her hand, and looked at it. She smiled as she saw the name, written along a phone number.

"I'll give her a call tomorrow," Lori said. "I think I'm ready to get some sleep."

"Me too," Leni said.

"Thanks for the help, girls," Lori said. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Luna got up, and hugged her. "No problem at all, sis," she said. "I'll always look out for my big sis, and my baby." She put her hand on Lori's belly. "Good night, baby. Good night Lori, Leni."

She headed to her room.

Lori got up and prepared to put on her PJs.

"Good night, Lori," Leni said as she climbed into bed.

"Night, Leni," Lori said.

As she took off her shirt, she looked at the mirror next to her. She could see her stomach poking out just a bit. She looked down, and put her hand on top of it.

"We've got a long road ahead of us, baby," she said. "But, it'll be worth it."

She grabbed her blue nightgown and put it on. Before she settled down though, she decided to do she nightly rounds.

She slipped out of her room quietly. She started with Luna and Luan, and then made way down the hall.

After checking up on Lisa and Lily, she had one destination left. This was the one she always looked forward to the most.

Lincoln had his lamp on, letting her assume that he was still awake. She grabbed the doorknob and poked her head inside.

He was laying on his bed, in his orange pajamas, just staring at the ceiling.

"Hey, Linc," she said, softly as to not startle him.

He looked up at her. "Oh, hey Lori"

Lori looked at him. He had been acting strange for the past few weeks. She'd often ask him if he was alright, to which he'd answer, "Yeah, I'm okay."

As an older sister, she couldn't help but feel concerned. She knew he was lying, and this time he wouldn't be able to get himself out of it this time.

She went over and sat next to him. "Look, Linky," she began.

He sat up and looked at her. "Yeah?"

She put her hand on his leg. "You know that if something is bothering you, that you can talk to me about it, right?"

He nodded.

She turned to him. "So, is there anything you wanna talk about?"

He looked down. "Yeah…I guess so."

She frowned. "Does it have anything to do with what Lucy said a few weeks ago?"

He nodded.

"Do you wanna tell me about that?", she asked gently.

He sighed. "It doesn't matter."

"Why would you say that?", she asked. "You always matter."

"No, it doesn't matter because well," he began.

She scooted closer to him. "What is it?"

"You already have enough stuff to worry about right now," he continued. "I don't want you to worry about me, too."

"Oh, Lincoln," she said. "You're my little brother, you'll always matter to me." She said, grabbed his hand. "No matter what I'm going through, you can always talk to me."

Lincoln looked up at her. He had a little smile on his face. "Thanks, Lori," he said. "Well, it's kind of hard to explain."

"I'm all ears"

He sighed. "Well, do you remember a few weeks ago, when Lucy said something about me feeling alone?"

She nodded.

"She overheard me talking to myself, I guess and well," he started. "It's just sometimes I feel like the odd one out."

"What do you mean?"

"You have Leni, Luna has Luan, you all have each other," he continued. "I don't have anyone."

She looked at him, confused. "So, you don't like having your own room?"

He shook his head. "No, it's not that," he said. "You have sisters, other girls you can talk to about girl things. Me? I don't have a brother, the only other guy I have in this house is Dad."

Lori nodded, as she was started to understand. "So what I'm getting at is that, you sometimes feel left out because you're the only boy?"

He nodded.

"But what about Clyde?"

"He's my best friend," Lincoln said. "But sometimes I wish I had a brother, ya know? Someone I can share my room with, someone I can talk about boy things with."

Lori saw the sad expression on his face. "I know you said that you feel alone, but the truth is Lincoln," she said. "You're never alone."

"We may not be boys, but you're our brother, and we love you so, so much."

"I know, and I love you guys, too," he said. "But there's just always that feeling ya know?"

She used her hands to call him over to sit with her. He crawled over and climbed into her lap. She wrapped her arms around him.

"I hate that you feel that way, Linky," she said. "Just know that me and our sisters, we love making sure you're included in things too." She kissed his hair. "You're part of this family too."

Lincoln sniffled. "I know, and I'm sorry that I feel this way," he said.

"Don't be," Lori said. "Your feelings matter too."

Lincoln wiped his eyes. "Thanks Lori," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "I love you."

"I love you too, Linky," she said. "And I bet your hoping I have a boy, aren't you?"

He nodded. "Yeah, that would be awesome," he said. "But I'd love it even if it's a girl."

"Me too," she said. "I love them so much."

"I love them too," Lincoln said, smiling.

"I'm glad you feel better, Linky," she said. "Now get some sleep, you've got school tomorrow."

She released him, and he crawled into his bed. Lori gave him Bun Bun, and she kissed his forehead.

"Good night, Linky," she whispered as she headed out the door.

"Night, Lori," he whispered.

She slowly closed the door behind her, leaving a small crack. She stood there and watched his eyes flutter closed as he drifted off to sleep.

"I love you, Lincoln."


	10. Making New Friends

**Wednesday, November 1**

**15 weeks and 4 days**

* * *

_Come on Lori, you can do this._

She sat in the driver's seat in Vanzilla, looking out at her classmates walking up to the school entrance. To her right, sat Leni.

Leni looked over at her older sister, as she had done the entire ride to school. Not once did Lori smile. She had the same worried, emotionless expression the entire way there.

She had never seen her sister so distraught, and it was worrying. She knew that Luna and Luan had noticed it too, as they got out of the car as slowly as they could, as if they'd provoke her.

Leni reached out to grab Lori's hand.

Lori looked over to see Leni looking at her with a small smile.

"You can do it, Lori," Leni said, softly.

Lori looked down and sighed. "I don't know…"

Leni squeezed her hand tighter. "Yes,  _you can_ ," she said. "Come on, we'll walk in together."

Leni opened her door, and got out. She watched as Lori slowly opened the door, and stepped out. She and Leni met in front of the car.

Lori could feel her breathing start to slow, and she felt like everyone was staring at her.

Leni looked over at her, a worried expression on her face. "Lori? You okay?"

Lori took a deep breath, and slowly nodded. "Y-Yeah, I'm okay," she said. "Let's just get this over with." She reached out her hand for Leni to grab it.

Leni accepted her hand, and they headed for the school's entrance together.

Leni's kindness always helped boost Lori up a bit, no matter the circumstances. There was just something about her that she could never stop smiling,  _ever_. So undeniably happy.

How did she do it?

For a moment, Lori wondered:  _How would Leni act if she was in my shoes?_

Her happiness was sickening, yet satisfying. In the very least, it gave Lori a small glimmer of hope that the day would go well.

They entered the school, where everyone was standing around waiting for the tardy bell to ring. Most of the kids were too tired to do anything, and were sitting around on the floor. Others were standing in line for breakfast, and some were already making their way to class.

"This is where we stop," Leni said. She pulled Lori into a hug. "If you need anything, you have my number."

Lori hugged her back. "Thanks, Leni," she said. "I'll need it."

Leni pulled away and began to head down the hallway. Lori watched her walk away, and suddenly she felt all alone.

She remembered her friends, and how she'd always meet them before first period. She thought it'd be best to go there now, just act normal.

_Just don't draw attention to yourself and you'll be fine_ , she thought.

She made her way to her locker, to see her friends standing there. Becky was the first to notice her.

"Oh, hey Lori,"'she said, waving.

The other girls turned around to see Lori standing there.

"H-Hey guys," Lori said, trying her best to smile.

The girls didn't seem very pleased to see Lori there, assuming that they heard about her "secret".

"So?", Whitney started, looking at Lori.

Lori looked at her, an eyebrow raised. "So?"

"We heard about your little…"secret"," Whitney said.

"Oh…", Lori said, looking at the ground.

"How are you feeling?"

Lori looked up at her, to see that she looked genuine. As if she really did care.

"I'm…good I guess"

"No sickness or anything?"

"Well…I still feel nauseous in the mornings, but it goes away when I eat."

"That's good," Becky chimed in. "Ya know, when my mom was…" she looked around. " _Pregnant_ , she was sick the whole time."

Ah, so they did know.

"Wow, that must've really sucked"

"Oh, it did," Becky said. "So I'm glad to see that you're okay."

Lori watched as the girls smiled at her. She looked at them all, confused.

"What's the matter, Lori?", another girl asked.

"Oh, I just…", she sighed. "I thought you guys would be mad at me."

"Mad at you?", Becky said. "For what?"

"Because…I didn't tell you about me being you-know-what"

"Okay, I'll be honest," Whitney said. "I was kind of mad."

Lori frowned.

"I thought that since we're best friends that you'd tell me as soon as you found out, ya know?"

Lori bit her lip. "I-I'm sorry," she said. "I was just so scared, and I still am."

Whitney put a hand on her shoulder. "I know, and I figured that," she said. "That's why I'm not mad anymore."

Lori smiled a bit. "What about the rest of you?"

The girls all shook their heads.

"Thanks guys," Lori said. "So we're cool, yeah?"

"Totes"

Just then, the bell rang.

"Looks like we gotta get to class," Whitney said. "We'll talk later, okay?"

Lori nodded, and she headed to class herself.

She had algebra her first period, and while she was good at it, it was such a boring class to have first thing in the morning.

She figured she'd get people looking at her as she walked in, but the other students minded their own business. Most were still arriving to class, others were staring endlessly at the board, and some were texting.

Lori took her seat, which was close to the board. The bell rang, and the teacher came up to the front of the class.

"Good morning, class," she said. "Today we'll be learning about the quadratic formula. Turn to page 120 in your textbook."

Lori got her book out of her bag, and turned it accordingly.  _So far so good_ , she thought to herself.

The entire class went off without a hitch, which made Lori happy. She put her books away, and grabbed her bag. Before she could get out of her seat, someone came and stood in front of her.

She looked up to see a short girl with brown hair and glasses.

"Hi, Lori right?"

Lori nodded.

"I don't think we've talked before, I'm Kami," she said while holding out her hand.

Lori stared at her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"I know this is random, but I just couldn't help but hear about your situation," Kami said. "I'm so sorry."

Lori was confused. "You're sorry? Why?"

"Well, I know you have a lot of siblings and it must be hard for your parents to provide for you all," she continued. "Plus this new baby, you must be overwhelmed."

"Why is that any of your business?"

"Look, I just like helping people in need," Kami said. "And if you ever need someone to talk to, I'd be free to help."

"No thanks," Lori said, crossing her arms. "I don't want pity."

Kami opened her mouth in disbelief. "Well, that's what I get for trying to be nice I guess," she said before storming off.

Lori got her bag and left the room.  _God, what is wrong with people?_

* * *

The next three classes went fine. Kami still gave her a look every once in awhile, but she could handle it.

Lunchtime finally came, and she could not wait. Her stomach had been growling for the past couple hours. Her cravings hadn't been as strong as she thought they'd be, but once she caught a whiff of the food cooking in the cafeteria, it made her mouth water.

Royal Woods High didn't have the  _best_  food, but she could stomach most of it. Once she got her food, she looked around for a table to sit at. She usually sat with her friends, but she told them she wanted to sit with her sisters today. They understood.

"Lori! Over here!"

She looked to see Leni yelling her name and holding up a hand.

She made her way to the table, where Luna and Luan were also seated.

"Hey sis," Luna said. "How's your day been so far?"

"It's been okay actually," Lori responded. "I had this really…weird girl ask me some really personal things."

"Really?", Luna asked.

Lori nodded. "Yeah, I kinda told her to go mind her own business."

"Dang, girl," Luan said.

"You're just giving it to them today, huh?", Luna said.

"I'm just not in the mood to deal with it today," Lori said as she took a bite of her sandwich.

"You know, Lori," Leni said. "You should totally talk to Carol about this."

"Leni, why would she do that?", Luna asked.

"Yeah, the damage has already been done," Luan said.

"Well, maybe if she talks to her, then she can say sorry"

"Leni kind of has a point guys," Lori said. "I'm not sure if it's such a good idea though."

"You should go do it, right now," Leni said.

"In front of everyone?!", Luna asked. She turned to Lori. "You know sis, I think it would be best if you didn't draw more attention to yourself." She put a hand on her shoulder. "But if you really want to, then we'll come with you."

Lori thought for a moment. What could she possibly gain by confronting Carol? Would she get closure? A better understanding of her actions? She wasn't sure, but she was going to do it.

"Okay, let's do it"

* * *

Lori and her sisters walked around until they could find Carol. She was hanging outside, surrounded by a group of other girls.

They stopped when they spotted her.

Lori felt herself freeze in her spot, and she felt as though she couldn't breathe. She felt her sisters gather around her.

"You can do this, Lori," Luna said.

"Yay go Lori!", Leni said, clapping her hands.

Lori took a deep breath and opened the door. She walked until she was right in front of Carol. She stood with her hands on her hips, waiting for the snarky blonde to notice her.

Once she did, her expression changed. She was once laughing happily, but now face was full of anticipation and surprise.

"Lori? Or should I say,  _Whori_ ," Carol remarked, resulting in an uproar of laughter from the students nearby. "What are you doing here?"

Lori tried to keep her cool. "You know  _exactly_ why I'm here, Carol."

Carol put her finger on her lips. "Hmm, do I?", she asked. "Oh wait, yes I do. You're probably here to tell everyone what I said about you."

"That was low of you, Carol," Lori started. "Using my little sister's excitement as fuel against me."

"Hmm yeah, maybe it was cruel," Carol said. "But I've always had a feeling you were a slut."

A few "ooohs" could be heard from the crowd.

Lori gritted her teeth, and she could feel her ears turning red with anger. "It's not worth it," she said through gritted teeth. "You'll always be a bitch."

Another round of "ooohs" could be heard.

Lori knew that arguing with her wasn't worth it, so she began to walk off.

"You're one to talk, Carol Pingrey"

Lori turned around to see another girl confronting Carol. She had long brown hair that was pulled up into a ponytail, and looked to be…pregnant?

"I heard about your little "pow wow" you had last weekend," the girl said. "It's so bad, that I can't repeat it out loud." She crossed her arms.

"That was nothing!", Carol said.

"Oh, so all of those pictures on SwfityPic sure look like nothing," the girl said as she took out her phone. "The one of you half naked is my favorite."

She turned her phone around, and showed the picture off to the group of people. They all erupted in a roar of laughter.

"Where did you get that?!", Carol said, stomping her foot.

"Oh, I have my ways," the girl said as she put her phone away. "Now, how about you leave Lori alone, or I post the rest of those pics on the Internet." She got in Carol's face. "Is that clear?"

Carol turned her head away, and stormed off, stomping her feet angrily as she went.

"That'll teach her," she noticed Lori standing nearby, and walked over to her. "Well, I got that taken care of." She held out her hand. "I don't think we've properly met, I'm Nicole."

Nicole? The same Nicole who Carol was trashing a few weeks ago?

"I'm Lori, but you already knew that"

"I did, I'm sorry I didn't come and talk to you sooner," Nicole said. "I saw what happened last night, and I was gonna jump in, but I saw that you had left."

"Oh right…that," Lori said. "Yeah, my sister, she was just trying to help, and I don't blame her. She's only six."

"She's a cutie, too," Nicole said. "I gave my number to your other sister, Leni? I think?"

"I got it, yeah," Lori told her. "It was late so I didn't wanna call you yet."

"Pssh it's fine, really," I was probably passed out anyway."

Lori looked down at Nicole's stomach. "So, how far are you?"

Nicole looked down. "Oh! I'm twenty-five weeks," she said. "Yeah, I've got that pregnancy brain, sorry." She laughed. "How far are you?"

"I'm fifteen weeks," Lori said.

"Aw, so cute. It won't be cute for long, trust me," Nicole said. "So, do you wanna meet up later? Have some lunch, feed these babies?"

Lori smiled. "I'd love to, but I have a doctor's appointment after school. Maybe afterward?"

"Oh, no worries," Nicole said, waving her hand downward. "I know how important those are. I'll see ya!"

Lori waved. "Bye!"

The bell rang, and she headed back inside.

She expected to lose her friends today, but instead she gained a new one.

* * *

"Can I go? Please?!"

Leni stood in front of Lori with a big smile on her face, and her hands in front of her face.

"Are you sure, Leni?", Lori asked. "They'll be putting needles in me, and you know how you get with those."

"I'll look away,I promise," Leni pleaded. "I just really want to go with you."

"Alright, I guess you can come," Lori said. "But, no throwing up, okay?"

Leni nodded.

"Luna! Are you ready?", Lori yelled up the stairs. "I'm going to be late!"

"Just a minute, sis!"

Luna slid down the stair railing, and landed on the floor.

"Alright, let's go!"

Luna ran to the door, while Leni followed.

"Bye, Mom!", Lori yelled as she grabbed the car keys. "We'll be back later!"

She headed outside, and locked the door behind her. As she made her way out to Vanzilla, she saw that Leni had taken the passenger seat, while Luna was behind the driver's seat.

Lori got into the driver's seat, and started the car.

"Thanks for letting me come, Lori," Luna said.

"No problem, Luna," Lori said, pulling out of the driveway.

"Yeah, me too," Leni said. "I can't wait to see the baby."

"Oh, they're not doing an ultrasound this time, actually," Lori said. "But, you'll get to hear the heartbeat this time."

Leni looked at her. "Oh, well that'll still be cool," she said.

Once they arrived at the doctor's office, they waited until Lori got called back.

"Good afternoon, Lori," Dr. Roth said as she entered the room. "Did your mother stay home this time?"

Lori nodded. "Yes, one of my sisters is sick, so she had to stay at home," she said. "Though I did bring two of my sisters, Leni and Luna."

"Nice to see you two girls," the doctor said. "Getting so big."

Leni and Luna smiled.

"Alright, let's see what we've got here," Dr. Roth said as she pulled out her chart. "You're fifteen weeks now, so we'll see how your measuring and look at baby's heartbeat."

Lori nodded.

"Are you still wanting to do the amniocentesis?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Lori said. "Bobby and I talked about it, and we want to be safe."

"Very well then," the doctor said. "I'll go get the kit and I'll be back."

She left the room, and Leni looked confused.

Lori noticed her. "What is it, Leni?"

"What is an amnio centimeter?", she asked.

"Amniocentesis," Lori corrected her. "It's to test for certain genetic disorders, like Down Syndrome."

Leni still had a confused look on her face.

"You know Bobby's cousin CJ?"

Leni nodded.

"It's to see if the baby might be like him"

"Oooh," Leni said, now understanding.

Dr. Roth returned with an ultrasound machine, and a giant vial.

"Okay, before we get to that, let's see you're growing," she said, pulling a measuring tape out of the cabinet.

Lori laid back on the table, pulling her shirt up so that her belly was showing. Dr. Roth took the measuring tape and put it along her belly.

"You're a bit on the small side, but it is your first baby," she said. "No need to worry, sometimes the uterus takes awhile to stretch the first time around."

"How have you been feeling? Any strange cravings?"

"My morning sickness has mostly went away," Lori responded. "I mostly just get sick in the mornings."

"Right when you wake up, or after eating?"

"After I eat"

"Try eating some crackers, or something high in carbs like toast," Dr. Roth said. "Don't eat or drink before bed though, as that can cause heartburn and acid reflux."

"Got it, as for the cravings part," Lori said, thinking. "I wouldn't call it strange, but I've been craving lots of chocolate, and cheese. Not together, though."

"Sounds good," the doctor said. "Now, let me get the doppler." She went back over to the cabinet. She got out the jelly, and put just a tiny bit on the bottom of Lori's stomach.

She stuck the doppler on it, and then they could hear it.

_Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh_

Leni and Luna's faces lit up as they listened to the sound.

"That is so cool," Luna said.

"Is that the baby?", Leni asked.

"Yes, that's the baby's heart," Lori told her.

"It's about 150 beats per minute," Dr. Roth said. "That's perfect." She wiped the bit of jelly off, and put the doppler away. "Alright, now for the part you've been waiting for."

She got out the vial, which had a medium sized needle on it. Leni closed her eyes.

She turned on the ultrasound machine, and put the probe on Lori's belly.

"Oh, I guess you guys do get to see the baby today," Lori said. "Leni, open your eyes really quick."

Leni took her hands off of her eyes, and looked up at the screen. "Is that the baby?"

"Yes it is, Leni," Luna said.

"Aw, it's so cute"

"It looks to be growing nicely too," the doctor said. "Now, let's find a good spot."

She moved it around until she found a spot where the baby could barely be seen.

"This may be a bit uncomfortable," Dr. Roth said as she grabbed the vial.

She inserted the needle into Lori's belly, and she watched it filled with fluid.

Lori squinted her eyes as she felt it.

The doctor pulled it out, and wiped off the bit of fluid that managed to escape.

"There we go, all done," she said. "Now, I'll send this off to the lab, and we'll call you in days, okay?"

Lori nodded.

"Alright, then I think you're free to go, see you in a few weeks."

Lori sat up, and pulled her shirt down. She looked over to her sisters.

"Did you guys enjoy it?"

"I thought it was really cool, dude," Luna said. "I've seen pictures of little baby Lori, but not the actual thing."

Lori smiled. "What about you, Leni?"

"I liked it, until the part where you got poked," she said.

"I know, I didn't like that part either," Lori said. "But at least it's over now, we can go."

* * *

Lori made her way to the front door of the Burpin' Burger, and once inside, she spotted her "date".

She approached her, and the girl waved and smiled.

"Hey, Lori!", she said, getting up to give her a hug. "Mind the belly, haha."

"Hey, Nicole," Lori said.

"Let's go order first, me and baby gotta eat, and so do you!", Nicole said as she headed up to the counter.

"I'll take four burpin burgers and two orders of curly fries, please," Nicole said to the cashier.

"Alright, that'll be $15.76"

Nicole handed her the money, and grabbed the tray of food.

They found a small booth, and sat across from each other.

Lori grabbed her food and sat it in front of her. "I usually just get one burger."

"I did too, and then I got pregnant," Nicole said. "I've been eating twice as much as a I used to."

Lori thought back to what the doctor said.  _You're a bit on the small side._

She was pretty hungry, so maybe eating all of this would be good for her, and the baby.

She grabbed one of the burgers, and I wrapped it. The smell of greasy meat and mustard filled her nostrils as she took a bite.

"Now we're talking," Nicole said, dipping a fry in her milkshake. "Okay so, we'll start with the basics. You have a big family, right?"

Lori nodded. "I have nine younger sisters and a younger brother."

"So you're the oldest, huh? I'm the youngest," Nicole told her. "I have an older brother and sister."

"Do they have any kids?"

"My brother does," she said. "He has a daughter, and she's so precious."

"Aw, that's cute"

"It is," Nicole said, taking a bite of her burger. "So tell me, what's it like to live in a big family? To have all of those younger siblings looking up to you?"

Lori thought for a moment. This was a question she had only been asked a few times in her life, as not very many people cared about her personal life.

"It can be fun, we get discounts at the water park sometimes," Lori said. "Most of the time it's crazy, and loud."

"'Loud', I get it," Nicole said, laughing. "What are your siblings like?"

Lori put a finger to her mouth. "Gosh, where do I start?"

"There's Leni, She's my roommate and closest sister. She loves fashion, and she's a bit of a ditz, but she's sweet. Then there's Luna, she loves music. Luan loves comedy, Lynn is rough and tough, loves sports, but has a sweet side. Lincoln is the only boy, and we can be protective of him, but he's a good boy. He's such a little nerd. Lucy loves spooky things, and writes poetry. Lana and Lola are the twins. They're identical, but complete opposites. Lana loves mud and anything dirty, and Lola loves doing pageants. Lisa isn't your average preschooler, she's a child prodigy. Lastly, there's Lily. She's the baby."

"Wow, your family sounds like fun," Nicole said. "I'd love to come meet them sometime!"

"I'm sure they'd love that," Lori said.

"So, how are your parents? Did they take the news well?"

Lori nodded. "Yeah, they weren't mad. My dad is kinda disappointed in me though."

"I know how that feels," Nicole said. "My parents still aren't very happy with me. They love me, and they want to be around the baby, but they're kind of distant. They wanted me to be like my older siblings, I guess. Ya know, go to college, get married,  _then_ have a baby. I know they love me, but it doesn't feel like it sometimes."

Lori sank down in her seat a bit. Hearing about Nicole's situation made her thankful that she had it good. She had a family who  _genuinely_ loved and supported her. Not everyone had that.

"That sounds…awful," Lori said.

"Eh, could be worse," Nicole said. "At least I have a roof over my head, and food to eat." She finished off her burger. "Now, for the next important question. How are you and the father? Is he in the picture?"

"Oh yes, Bobby and I have been together for a year," Lori told her. "He was kind of surprised when I told him, but he's pretty happy about it."

"That's good, that's important too you know?", Nicole said. "Where is he now though?"

"He went back home for the week," Lori said. "A few months ago, he and his family moved to the city, three hours away. His grandfather owns a Bodega there, so every other week he goes back to make money for us."

"That's awesome," Nicole said. "My baby's Dad was here for a bit, then we got into it, and now he's just gone. I still talk to him every once in awhile, but I'm hoping he can at least be in her life."

"Oh, 'her'? You're having a girl?", Lori asked.

Nicole nodded. "Yep, I'm not sure what I'm naming her yet though. What about you?"

"I wanna wait until they're born to find out," she said. "I know it'll make shopping a bit harder, but I think it's worth the wait."

"You've got a lot of patience to do that"

"Hey, I have ten siblings. You have to have patience for that."

"I'd think so," Nicole said. "But it is really great how you have so many people who love and support you. That's pretty rare, ya know."

Lori swirled the straw in her soda. "Yeah, I guess it is," she said. "I can't help but feel bad for you though."

"Hey, that's okay," Nicole said. "It is what it is, I can't change it, so I just deal with it."

Lori laughed. "You are something, Nicole."

"I know I am, thanks for noticing"

Lori looked down at her phone. "Oh, I guess it's about time for me to get back home," she said. "One of my sisters is sick and I have to pick her up some medicine."

"Aww, tell her I said to get well soon," Nicole said. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Lori."

Lori got up from the table. "Bye, it was really good talking with you."

"Yeah, it was, I hope we can do it again soon."

As Lori headed out to Vanzilla, she has many thoughts rubbing through her mind. About how she was "lucky" to have such a supportive family. In a way, it made her feel selfish, but she knew it wasn't right to think that way.

What was most important to her though, was that she had made a new friend.

* * *

Lori entered the door of her house to see that it was as loud and chaotic as ever.

"Dad! I'm home!", she said as she closed the door behind her.

"Hey, honey," Lynn Sr. said as he entered the living room. "Did you get Lola's medicine?"

Lori held up the small bag. "I did," she said.

"Great, so hey, would you take it up there to her?", he asked. "She's been asking for you."

"Oh, no problem"

He patted her on the back. "Thanks, hun," he said. "Dinner will be ready soon."

Lori headed up the stairs to the twins room. She cracked open the door, and Lola was laying in her bed, sleeping.

She made her way into the room as quietly as she could. "Hey, Lola," she whispered. "I have your medicine."

Lola opened her eyes a bit. "Oh goody," she said quietly. "I feel so bad."

Lori put the back of her palm on Lola's forehead. "You're burning up," she said.

Lola sat up slowly in her bed, resting her head on the headboard. Lori opened up the small bottle, and put some medicine in a syringe.

Lola grimaced when she saw the pink liquid. "Aw come on, Lola," Lori said. "It'll make you feel better, I promise."

Lola grabbed the syringe from her hand, and put it in her mouth. She squirted it in her mouth as fast as she could, trying hard not to gag.

"See? That wasn't so hard," Lori said, taking the syringe from her. "And here." She took out a small juice box. "I thought you'd want something to drink, so I got you this."

She opened it up and handed it to Lola, who took it without hesitation. "Thanks, Lori," she said.

"No problem, little sis"

Lori watched as Lola devoured her drink, and grabbed the empty container from her hands.

"All done?", Lori asked. "I guess it's time for you to go back to sleep."

She started the get up, but Lola stopped her.

"Wait! Can you tuck me in? Pretty please?"

"Of course"

Lola sunk down in her bed so that she was laying on the pillow. Lori leaned over and pulled the covers up to her neck, tucking the sides of the cover so that Lola fit perfectly.

"Thanks, Lori," Lola said, a small smile on her face. "I'm going to miss it."

Lori raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say that?"

"Well, it's just that," Lola started. "Once you have the baby, you won't be able to spend as much time with me."

Lori frowned. "Don't say that, Lola," she said. "Of course I'll be able to spend time with you. I'll still be living here, and you can come see me anytime."

"But you'll be busy, and you won't be able to read to me, or hug me when I have a bad dream"

"Hey, listen to me," Lori said as she looked at Lola. "I know that once the baby comes, that being a Mom will be my main priority, but no matter what happens," she said as she brushed Lola's hair back. "I'll  _always_  be your big sister."

Lola smiled, as big as she did when she went to pageants. "Thanks, Lori," she said. "I'm sorry for being a little brat sometimes, but I really do love you."

"I love you too," Lori said. "Now get some sleep, or this sickness will get worse. I need my little princess to get better."

Lola nodded, and put her sleeping mask on. Lori turned the lamp off, and kissed Lola's hair. "Sleep tight, little princess."

Before she left the room, she looked back at her snoozing little sister. She knew that soon, her life would change, as well as her sisters', but it was these little moments that truly mattered.

And Lori wouldn't change it for the world.


	11. Christmas Dreams

**Sunday, December 24**

**23 weeks and 1 day**

* * *

Lori squinted as a bright light was shining in her face. She put her hands over her eyes, and began to walk forward. She peeked through her fingers, and her mouth fell open as she found herself in an all white room. Her eyes hurt from the light that didn't want to leave her alone.

Her ears picked up a sound, coming from far away. She cupped her hands over her eyes, and saw a small object in the distance. She began walking towards it, using caution.

She was able to pick up the sound more clearly now. Wait, was that what she thought it was? No, it couldn't be. Her feet picked up speed as she walked closer to the sound.

Something told her that she needed to make it there faster. When the sound became really loud, she stopped. She looked down at her feet, and she could feel tears in her eyes.

Laying under her feet, was a small bassinet. Inside, a baby dressed in all purple. The baby had light tan skin, and soft black hair. They were crying, their little face red and arms outstretched.

Lori reached down, and picked the baby up. "Shh it's okay," she said quietly. "Mommy is here."

They began to calm down as Lori rocked them in her arms. They latched on to her shirt, their eyes looking up at her.

She wiped her eyes as she looked down at the little person in her arms.

"I don't know what you are, but I love you," Lori said.

The baby rolled over, resting their face in her chest. "Mama," they babbled quietly.

Lori's eyes widened. "Did you just say 'Mama'?", she said. "Bobby! Come here!"

Bobby appeared next to her. "What is it, Babe?"

"The baby, they just spoke," she told him.

"Oh, yeah! She did!", Bobby said, taking the baby from her arms. "That's my girl."

Lori blinked. "We-we have a daughter?"

Bobby nodded. "Of course," he said. "And she's perfect."

"Mama! Mama!", the baby said as she reached out her arms for Lori.

"My-My daughter…"

* * *

"Mama! Mama!"

Lori's eyes opened, and she brought her hands down to her swollen stomach. She sighed in relief, and she felt her baby kicking away. She looked next to her to see two blurry figures near her.

"Mom will be back soon, Lily," said a voice. "Until then, you get to stay in here with me."

"Mama!", Lily cried as she tried to escape from Leni's arms.

Leni held onto Lily tighter. "No Lily!", she said. "Here, why don't you play with Mr Teddy?" Leni grabbed a teddy bear from beside her bed and handed it to Lily.

"Baba!", Lily babbled as she reached out for the bear.

Leni handed to her, and the baby squealed with delight. "There you go, good baby," she said. "Oh, hey Lori!"

Lori wiped her eyes. "Hey, Leni," she said. "What's wrong with Lily?"

"Oh, Mom went to the store, and Lily wanted to go, so she's been crying for like an hour," Leni said.

"Aw, poor baby," Lori said. "Has she eaten yet?"

"Not yet"

Lori threw the covers off of herself, and sat up. "Here, I'll take her," she said.

Leni looked at her. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I've gotta eat anyway," Lori said as she got up. "Hey Lily, you wanna go get some 'num-nums'?"

Lily eyes lit up, and she held out her hands.

Lori picked her up, and Lily spread her legs across Lori's belly.

Lori's eyes widened. "Why do you keep doing that?", she said.

"No baby," Lily said. "I baby."

Lori sighed. "Yes, you're my baby," she said, kissing Lily's head. "Let's go eat now, okay?"

Lily smiled and clapped her hands happily.

Lori headed out into the hallway, where her siblings were already getting into their usual Christmas Eve antics.

Lynn and Lucy were running around looking for the presents, Lincoln was outside sledding in the freshly fallen snow, and Lola was trying to get on Santa's Nice List.

Lori made her way into the kitchen, where her father was busy working on Christmas dinner. He turned around when he heard her footsteps. "Good morning, honey," he said. "How are you feeling?"

"My back hurts, my feet are swollen, and I'm hungry, but other than that, I'm fine," she said.

Lynn Sr. frowned. "I'm sorry, Lori, I know pregnancy is tough," he said. "I can't help with the other stuff, but I did make some pancakes earlier." He pointed to the counter next to him.

Lori's mouth watered as she looked at the giant stack of pancakes sitting in front of her. She looked over to see Lily eyeing the stack as well.

"Oh, Lily is hungry too," Lori told him. "Leni said she hasn't eaten yet."

"Dada! Dada!", Lily said, reaching out her arms.

"Come here, sweetie," Lynn Sr said as he grabbed Lily from Lori's arms. "I'll take care of her, now you go eat."

"Thanks, Dad," Lori said. She walked over to the counter, putting four pancakes on her plate. She grabbed the bottle of syrup, and smothered them in it.

"Hi dear sister"

Lori turned around to see Lola standing there. "I'll take that for you," she said, reaching out her hands.

"It's okay, Lola," Lori said, picking up her plate. "I've got it."

"Oh, but I insist," Lola said, grabbing the plate from her. "What kind of sister would I be if I let my poor, pregnant older sister carry her own plate that's so  _so_  heavy?"

Lori raised a brow. "Fine, since you're being so nice today."

"Thank you, dear sister," Lola said as she headed into the dining room.

She sat the plate on the table, and pulled a chair out for Lori. "There ya go, dear sister," Lola said.

Lori took her seat, and Lola pushed it in. "Is there anything else I can get for you? Milk or juice?"

Lori thought for a moment. "Milk will be good," she said. "The baby doesn't like orange juice, gives me heartburn."

Lola smiled. "Be right back!"

Lori began to dig into her stack of pancakes, when she felt a kiss on her cheek. She turned around to see Bobby standing there.

"Good morning, Babe," he said, placing his hand on her belly. "How are my girls today?"

Lori's eyes widened, and she put down her fork. "What did you say?"

"I asked how you and the baby are today?", he said.

Lori released her breath. "Oh, we're fine," she said. "The baby has been really active today, and my back is kinda sore."

"Aw, I'll have to give you massage later, Babe," he said. "Lincoln and I have been outside playing in the snow. That kid really knows how to sled."

Lori returned to her food. "Yeah, he does," she said. "I remember when he lost it in Mr Grouse's yard once. It was literally impossible to get it back."

Bobby laughed. "I think I remember hearing about that."

Lori scrapped her fork against her plate.

Bobby frowned. "Are you sure you're okay?"

She turned to him and sighed. "Sit down."

Bobby took a seat next to her, and grabbed her hand. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

"I'm not sure how to say this, but I had a dream last night that was literally so strange."

"What happened?"

"I was in this room that was completely white, and I saw something in the distance," she began. "I walked closer and closer, and that's when I saw it."

"What did you see?"

"There was a bassinet, and it had a baby in it,  _our_  baby," she continued. "And it was a little girl, and she was so beautiful, Bobby."

Bobby's eyes widened. "We had a daughter?"

Lori nodded. "We did, and I loved her, she was perfect," she said, her lips quivering.

"Aw, Babe, don't cry," Bobby said, reaching out to hug her. "That's a really cool dream you had though, I wonder what it means?"

She hugged him back. "I don't know, but it made me want to find out what the baby is."

"But I thought we agreed that we'd wait?", Bobby said, confused.

"You're right, I really do wanna wait," Lori said. "Though with how my family is, I really do have a feeling that it's a girl now."

Bobby put his hand under her chin. "If it makes you feel better, then maybe we'll ask the doctor to look next time."

"Really?"

He nodded. "Yeah, it can be our little secret."

Lori bit her lip. "Sure, I'd like that," she said. "You know what else I'd like? That massage you promised."

"Sure thing, Babe," Bobby said as he got up.

He began to rub her shoulders, and she closed her eyes. "Ah yes, a little to the left, now the right-Oooh yes."

"Feeling any better?",Bobby asked.

"Very much, thanks Boo Boo Bear," she said.

"Anytime, Babe"

"Lori!", Lincoln yelled as he came running into the dining room.

"What is it?", Lori asked.

He held out a piece of paper in front of her. "This is for you," he said.

"Oh?", she said, grabbed it from him. "Oh!"

Bobby raised a brow. "What is it?", he asked.

"It's a letter from the University," she said. She began opening it, being careful to not tear it.

She read through it, a smile forming on her face. Bobby began to smile too when he saw her face.

"What does it say?", he asked.

"They got my emails about being interested in them, and they want me to apply," Lori told him.

"Oh! That's great Babe," Bobby said.

"Yeah, it is," she said. "And I'm happy that they're interested in me. Though, I'm not sure if I can take it."

Bobby frowned. "How come?", he asked. She took his hand and put it on her stomach. "Oh…that's right."

Lori rubbed her temples. "I really don't want to think about this right now," she said. "It's too stressful."

Bobby put and hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. You don't have to think about it right now," he said. "You wanna go take a walk?"

"Yeah, I have a headache," Lori said as she stood up.

"I'll get your coat," Bobby said, going into the living room.

Before he could grab it from the rack, Lola snatched it. "Sorry Bobby, but  _I'm_ taking care of Lori today."

Bobby laughed. "Hey, that's okay," he said. "Gotta make sure you get a lot of presents tomorrow, huh?"

Lola looked away. "No…maybe", she said. "That is none of your business."

He held his hands up. "Alright then, little Princess."

Lola went into the dining room and put Lori's coat on for her. "There you go, can't have you getting sick on Christmas!"

"Thanks, Lola," Lori said. "Come on Bobby."

"Hey, I'm right here," he said, waving his arms.

Lori giggled. "I know, silly," she said, turning to look at her siblings that were in the room. "We'll be back in a little bit, you guys be good."

They waved their hands at her as she and Bobby went out the door.

They shivered as they felt the cold, winter air touch their skin. The entire neighborhood was covered in snow, the trees hung low with piles of snow covering their branches. The sidewalk leading to the house was slippery, a nice coating of ice covering it.

Lori grabbed onto Bobby's hand, clinging onto him for warmth. Luckily, they both had winter boots so that they could grip the ground easily. They began walking, making their way out of the Loud's yard.

She was happy that she wasn't pregnant during the summer, as the heat would be brutal. She didn't mind winter as much, as it left her feeling warm and cozy on the inside.

"So, got anything you wanna talk about?", Bobby asked.

Lori sighed, her breath visible in the cold. "I think we should talk about the future," she said. "The baby will be here in eighteen weeks, and soon we'll both be graduating. What are we gonna do?"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down a bit, Babe," Bobby said, putting his hand in front of him. "I think we can both come up with something that works for us. Just because we're having a baby, doesn't meant we have to give up our dreams."

Bobby was right. These past few weeks, Lori had been worried about what her future held. She dreamed of moving in with him, and going to college. Throw a baby in there though, and it becomes more complicated.

"You're right, I-I think I just need to think about what's happening now, right?", she asked, turning to him.

He nodded. "Yeah, don't get so stressed out," he said. "It's bad for the baby."

Lori touched her stomach gently. She could feel it jump around with every little move the baby made. It was becoming more real to her. There was an actual person in there, and one day she would be responsible for them.

"I think we should talk names," Lori said. "Even though we don't know what they are yet, they at least deserve a name, right?"

"Yeah, they do," Bobby said. He turned his head to the side, and put a finger on his chin. "Well, for a girl I like Mackenzie."

"Really? Well, I like Katarina," Lori said.

Bobby looked at her. "What about for a boy?"

"Dayton," Lori said. "It's a good name."

"I like Max"

"These are all good," Lori said. "But I'm not sure that they fit."

Bobby thought for a moment, his lips puckered and eyebrows furrowed. His face lit up, and he turned to Lori. "I think I have one."

"What is it?", Lori asked with curiosity.

Bobby leaned over and whispered in her ear. A smile grew on her face as she heard his words.

"Oooh, those are perfect!", she exclaimed.

Bobby smiled. "I'm glad you like them, Babe," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "So, it's settled then?"

"Lori?"

She couldn't answer, as she felt a sharp pain shoot through her stomach. She doubled over, clutching her stomach with her hands. "Bobby…help," she said, reaching up for him.

He got down so that he could look her in the eyes. "What is it?", he said, worry in his eyes.

She looked up at him. "I think…I think the baby is trying to come."

Bobby's eyes widened. "Oh…oh god, it's too early!"

"Just…please, take me back home," Lori said, grabbing onto his shirt.

He picked her up, bridal style, and carried her home as fast as he could, being careful not to slip on the ice.

When he reached the front door, he opened it as fast as he could.

The other siblings turned to look at Bobby their eyes widening as they saw the look on his face.

"What's going on?", Luna asked, getting up from the couch.

"It's Lori, she thinks the baby is coming," Bobby said, carrying Lori over to the couch.

The others gathered around Lori, asking her questions she couldn't understand.

"Give her room, guys," Rita said as she came into the room. She pushed through her children to get to Lori. "What's going on?"

"My-My stomach, it hurts and-and it's tight," she said, leaning forward and letting out a groan.

"Let me see," Rita said, getting down next to Lori. "Hmm, it could be Braxton-Hicks."

Bobby looked at her, confused. "What is that?"

"They're practice contractions," Rita told him. "They're not real, but they're still painful. I had them with all of my pregnancies."

She turned and looked at Luna. "Luna, get your sister some water."

Luna nodded, and headed into the kitchen.

"Bobby, I want you just stay here with her," Rita said. "Get a pillow and prop up her feet."

Bobby grabbed a pillow from the chair, and put it under Lori's feet.

Luna came back into the room with a bottle of water. "Here you go, sis," she said as she handed the bottle to Lori.

Lori took it, and began to drink.

"If it's a Braxton-Hicks, the water should make it go away," Rita said. "We'll watch you, and if they keep coming back, and they're stronger, then we'll have to go to the hospital."

"Is my baby okay?", Lori asked.

Rita put her hand on Lori's belly. "Yes, they're just fine."

Lori smiled with relief. "Thank goodness"

"But, you'll have to take it easy for the rest of the day," Rita said. "Go up to your room, get in some comfy clothes. Just relax, we want that baby to stay in there as long as possible."

Lori took a few deep breaths, the pain starting to dissipate. "Thanks, Mom," she said. "It's starting to go away."

Lana ran up to Lori and gave her a hug. "Tell the baby it can't come out yet! We don't have the nursery ready!", she yelled, pointing at Lori's belly.

Lori picked Lana up and laid her across her chest. "Oh, don't worry, I'll make sure the baby stays in as long as it needs to, okay?"

"I sure hope so, because we don't have everything ready yet," Lana said.

Lori sighed. "Thanks for reminding me, Lana," she said.

Lana pouted. "Did I say something wrong?"

Bobby shook his head. "No, it's just that we've been saving up money for the nursery, and haven't been able to get much."

Lana looked at both of them, a confused look on her face. "What are you talking about? The baby has lots of stuff!"

Luna gasped, and grabbed Lana. "Now Lana, you know that all of that belongs to Lily," she said. "Lori's baby gets their own stuff."

Lana looked at her, confused. Then, it hit her. "Oh, right, my bad," she said. "Now put me down! I've gotta go check my reindeer traps!"

Luna laughed, and put Lana down. Lana ran out to the backyard, where a loud crash could be heard.

"I got one!", she yelled from the other room.

Lori and Bobby looked at the family. "Okay guys, what are you up to?", Lori asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Nothing, What makes you think we're up to something?", Lincoln asked, a cheeky smile on his face.

Lori sighed. "If you say so." She looked at Bobby. "Boo Boo Bear, can you help me to my room, please?"

She sat up, and Bobby grabbed both of her hands, helping her stand. He held her hand as they walked to the stairs, heading up to her room.

The rest of the family wiped the sweat from their foreheads.

"Boy, that was a close one," Luan said.

"Should we do something about Lana?", Lincoln asked.

"I don't know, I think she means well, she's just excited," Rita said. "But, we don't want her ruining the surprise."

Lincoln put a finger on his chin. "Maybe…we should give it to them now, ya know, as a Christmas present!"

"But, it's not ready yet," Leni said. "Their baby can't sleep in a room with no bed."

"That's why I have a plan," Lincoln said. "How about we work on it for the rest of the day, and we can have it done tomorrow."

"I don't know, Lincoln," Lynn Sr said. "It still needs a lot of work."

"Trust me, Dad," Lincoln said, waving his hand. "I know how we can do it."

Lynn put an arm around his neck. "I'm with ya, now what's the plan?"

Lincoln motioned for them to come closer. "Okay so here's what we do…"

* * *

Lori laid in her bed. Her head on a pillow, and her feet propped up. She watched as Bobby came back into the room, a bag of chips in his hand.

"Here ya go, Babe," he said, handing her the bag.

"Thanks, Boo Boo Bear," she said as she grabbed it. She opened it up, and began stuffing chips in her mouth.

Bobby laid down next to her, rolling over on his side and putting an arm across her belly. He made a funny face. "Are you really that hungry?"

Lori swallowed. "I can't help it, ever since I got pregnant, I eat like a horse."

"A  _cute_  horse"

Lori frowned. "You really think I eat like a horse?"

Bobby raised his eyebrows. "You're the one who said that."

"But you're supposed to disagree with me," Lori said, her voice getting louder. "You-you did this to me, Bobby!"

He was taken aback. "What are you talking about?"

"Just look at me," Lori said, moving her arms down her body. "I'm fat, my face is broke out, my feet are swollen, all I eat is junk food, and yet." She turned to him. "You're still here."

He moved in closer, putting a hand on her cheek. "Of course I am, Babe," he said softly. "I don't care if you're fat, or have zits all over your face." He put a piece of hair behind her ear. "I love you, no matter how you look."

Lori's lips quivered, and she felt tears threatening to run down her face. "You're just being nice," she said, sniffling.

He turned her so that she was looking at him. "Look, Lori, I mean what I say." He grabbed her hands. "And I mean it when I say…I think you're beautiful."

Lori closed her eyes as she felt the tears escape. "Oh Bobby…". She snuggled into his chest, his shirt becoming damp with her tears.

He laid his head on top of hers, his chin brushing against her hair. He rubbed her back, and pushed her head further into his chest. "I know that you probably don't see it the way I do, especially right now, but you are so beautiful."

"You think I'm beautiful even though I'm fat?", Lori asked.

"You're not fat, you're having a baby," Bobby said. "That's a wonderful reason to be 'fat'. When you told me you were pregnant, I was shocked, but I wasn't upset." He rubbed her hair. "I think I was more worried about how we would make this work. I had a job and a home in the city, I left my family, but I wouldn't do anything different."

He moved Lori up towards him so that she was facing him. He put both of his hands on her cheeks. "I don't hate you, Lori, I never could." He began wiping her eyes with his thumbs. "There's nowhere I'd rather be than with you." He pulled her in for a hug. "And there's no one else I'd rather have as the mother of my child."

Lori let out a sob as she put her arms around him. The last few weeks, she's felt so different. The rapid changes in her body made her feel fat, and ugly, and undesirable. The more she thought about it though, the more she knew she had picked the right guy.

"I love you so much, Bobby," she sobbed, snuggling into his shoulder.

He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I love you too, Lori."

They didn't even notice it when they fell asleep. All they cared about, was being in each other's arms.

* * *

"Lori, Bobby, wake up"

"Mmm"

"Come on guys, wake up!"

Lori slowly opened her eyes. She was still wrapped in Bobby's arms, his head on top of hers.

"Lori, come on!"

She turned her head to see Lynn standing there, her arms crossed.

Lori rubbed her eyes. "What is it?"

"You guys need to get up, there's something we have to show you," Lynn said.

Lori turned back to Bobby, slowly shaking him. "Boo Boo Bear, hey," she said softly. "Time to get up."

He stirred, and opened his eyes. "Lori? Is that you?"

She giggled. "It is me, silly. You have to get up."

"Mmm, okay"

Bobby slowly sat up, Lori following his lead.

"Finally," Lynn said. "Now, come on you two."

Lynn started to head for the door, and Lori and Bobby followed. She lead them down the stairs, and to the front door. She had them put on their winter clothes, and led them outside.

"Lynn, what's going on?", Lori asked.

"You'll see~", Lynn said.

She led them to the garage. She opened up the door, and whispered something.

"Okay, now close your eyes," Lynn told them.

The couple covered their eyes, and Lynn grabbed both of their hands.

She led them into the garage. "Okay, now open."

They took their hands away from their eyes, and their mouths fell open.

The garage had been completely redone, and made into a small apartment. The walls were painted blue and pink, and there was a small loveseat and television. There was a small bathroom, and a bed big enough for two people. At the very end, there was a small nursery.

It had a purple crib, complete with a changing table and rocking chair. There were many stuffed animals, and a small sink for making bottles.

On the other side, Lori saw her whole family standing there, smiling.

"So? Do you guys like it?", Lynn asked.

"Guys, this is… _amazing_ ," Lori said, her voice shaky.

"It's incredible," Bobby said, looking around. "What made you guys do this?"

"Well, we figured that once the baby comes, our house would be even more cramped," Lincoln said.

"And you guys deserve your own space," Leni said.

"But, you'll still be close to us if you need any help," Rita said.

"Merry Christmas, guys," Luan said.

Lori went up to the family and gave them all a hug. "Oh, you guys are literally the best," she said, sniffling.

Lincoln looked over at Bobby. "Come on, Bobby, you're part of the family too!"

Bobby smiled, and gave them a hug as well.

"Our baby already has so many people who love them," Lori said. "I couldn't ask for a better family. I love you guys."

"We love you too, sweetie," Rita said. "And you two are free to stay out here tonight if you want."

Lori shook her head. "I think we'll go back to my room tonight. I want to see everyone open their presents."

Lola raised an eyebrow. "Don't you mean  _your_  presents too?"

Lori shook her head. "No, I think I've been blessed enough this year. I have a wonderful family who loves an supports me, I have an amazing boyfriend, I'm having a baby, and now we have our own little apartment. I don't need anything else."

"We're so glad you love it, honey," Lynn Sr. said. He turned to his other kids. "Now, if you guys want Santa to bring you your presents, I'd suggest you all get in the bed."

The rest of the kids cheered, running back to the house. Their parents followed, leaving Lori and Bobby in the garage.

"This really is great, isn't it?", Bobby asked.

Lori nodded. "Yeah, it is," she looked down at her belly. "It really is."


	12. Sweet Memories

**Monday, December 25**

**23 weeks and 2 days**

* * *

The sound of indistinct chatter could be heard as the children in the house began to stir. It was Christmas morning, and they were all eager to get their presents.

Lori turned onto her left side, her eyes beginning to open. Bobby was next to her, his eyes still closed and a trail of drool coming out of his mouth.

A small smile grew on her face. He was so cute. She reached out her hand, and rubbed his hair. He jumped at her touch, and closed his mouth.

"Boo Boo Bear," Lori whispered, laughing a bit as she watched him try to swat her hand away.

He shook his head, slowly opening his eyes. "Mmm," he stirred, placing his hand on top of hers. "Oh, good morning, Babe."

She caressed his face. "Someone slept good," she pointed to the stain on the pillow.

He looked down at the pillow, then wiped his mouth. "I did, heh," he leaned forward and gave her a kiss. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"My back hurts still, and I literally have the worst heartburn," she began. "But, it's not all bad." She took his hand and moved it down to her stomach. "The baby was kicking all night."

Bobby's face lit up as he felt the kicks underneath his hand. If he looked hard enough, he could actually see her belly moving every time the baby decided to kick. "Good morning, baby," he kissed her belly.

Lori's face was bright. Seeing him being so sweet already, it warmed her heart. "You're literally the sweetest."

He laughed. "Hey, I try," he looked towards the door. "I'm surprised one of your siblings hasn't come to wake us up yet."

"They're too busy opening their presents probably," Lori said. "But, we do need to get up. This baby is sitting on my bladder."

Bobby got up, and went over to her side of the bed. Lori sat up, and held out her hands. He pulled on them, allowing her to stand up.

"Thanks so much, Boo Boo Bear," she said, walking towards the door. "You can go downstairs already if you want. I'll be down in a bit."

"Okay, Babe," Bobby said as he followed her.

As Lori headed to the bathroom, Bobby followed the rest of the kids downstairs to the living room.

There, a few of them were already sitting around the tree, either on the floor or on the couch. The tree was stacked high with presents. Lynn and Lucy were standing by the tree, trying to pick out the ones with their names. Lana and Lola were picking some up, and shaking them to try and figure out what they were.

Lincoln turned to Bobby from his seat on the couch. "Merry Christmas, Bobby," he said.

Bobby ruffled Lincoln's hair. "Merry Christmas to you too, Little Loud."

"Where's Lori?", Leni asked.

Bobby pointed his thumb towards the stairs. "She's in the bathroom," he said. "Pregnant ladies gotta pee."

"Daddy is making breakfast," Lola said. "Wanna come and help us figure out what these presents are?" She patted the spot next to her on the floor.

Bobby laughed. "Sure."

* * *

Back upstairs, Lori finally emerged from the bathroom. Before she could go downstairs though, she heard something. She walked down the hallway, and turned to the last room on the right.

She opened the door, to see Lily standing up in her crib. The baby was crying, her face red.

Lori turned to her. "Aw, did they leave you up here all alone, Lily?"

Lily held out her arms to her big sister. "Ori!"

Lori's face softened. "It's okay, sweetie," she said as she picked up the infant. She bounced Lily, trying to calm her. "Do you wanna go open your presents?"

Lily's face lit up. She nodded, clapping her hands happily. "Pwesen!"

Lori smiled. Seeing her baby sister so happy always made her day. "Mommy and Daddy and our brother and sisters are already there, let's go before they open them for us," she said, booping Lily's nose. It made the baby burst out into laughter.

Lori headed downstairs, Lily still laughing in her arms. Everyone turned to look at them when they got to the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh, I see Lily woke up," Rita said as she came over to them. "Did she need anything?"

Lori shook her head. "No, but she was crying when I found her," she said. "But now she wants her presents."

Lily turned to the tree and pointed at it. "Pwesen!", the baby held her hands out.

"You see the presents, Lily?", Lori said, putting her face next to Lily's. She looked up at her mom. "When are we opening presents?"

"Right now!", Lynn Sr said as he came out of the kitchen. "We'll open first, then I made breakfast."

Rita looked at her children, who were spread around the living room. "Okay kids, you know the drill."

All the kids, excluding Bobby, moved around the room until they formed a single file line. Sitting next to each other, with their legs crossed. Bobby lifted a brow as he watched the scene. Lori motioned with her finger for him to come and sit next to her. He complied, and sat with his legs crossed.

This was a routine the Louds came up with a few years ago, after many years of hectic holidays. It allowed each of the kids to get a present, and it was much more organized. Rita and Lynn Sr would get the presents from under the tree, and hand it to the child it belonged to.

"Alright, let's see who's first," Rita said, pulling out a present. It was a medium sized, square present wrapped in green paper. "Lisa," she picked up the box with both hands, as it was heavy.

The other siblings grumbled as it was not yet their turns.

Lisa reached out to grab the present.

Rita shook her head. "Uh uh, this one is heavy," she sat down in front of Lisa. "I'll help you with this one."

Lisa raised a brow. "Mother, please. I believe I am perfectly capable of opening my own gift."

Rita sighed and sat the box in Lisa's hands. The small girl almost fell forward from the force. She struggled to lift it up into her lap. "Okay, I shall revoke my precious statement, I require your assistance."

Rita laughed a bit, and took the box from Lisa's hands. She sat it in front of the girl, and Lisa began to tear away the paper. Her face lit up when she saw what was inside.

"A new Chemistry textbook?!," she gasped. "And it's graduate school level!"

Rita ruffled Lisa's hair as she began picking up the bits of paper. "Glad you like them, sweetie."

Lynn Sr crouched is front of the tree, looking for a present. "Okay, let's see who's next." He grabbed a small present that was wrapped in purple. "Luna."

Luna's face lit up as she watched her father walk over to her. He handed the present to her, and she laid it in her lap.

The other siblings turned their heads towards Luna, watching as she tore the paper away.

She gasped. "You guys got me a new guitar strap?!", she held it up for the others to see. It was covered it in a purple and pink galaxy print. "This is just what I needed, thanks guys."

"You're welcome, honey," Lynn Sr. said.

The giving out of presents went on for the next few minutes.

Lincoln got new Ace Savvy comics, Lynn got a new basketball, Luan got some new accessories for Mr. Coconuts, Lucy got a complete set of her favorite Vampire book series, Leni got a pair of sparkly jeans, Lola got a new tiara, Lily got a new pacifier, and Lana got a new set of tools.

Rita and Lynn Sr. watched as all their children went to try out their new stuff. It was moments like this that made them proud to be parents.

Lori smiled as she watched her siblings. She had experienced this so many times with them, but this time just felt…different. It made her think about what Christmas would be like for her in the future.

This time next year, she'd have her own child to enjoy. She'd get to buy presents for them, and even though they won't be able to open them for themself yet, she'd get the enjoyment of watching them play with their new toys.

She felt Bobby put his arm around her, and it brought her out of her thoughts. "They're so cute, aren't they?", he asked. "You know who else is cute?"

Lori bit her lip. "Who?"

He kissed her cheek. "You, of course," he laughed. "Which reminds me," he reached into the pocket of his pajama pants. He pulled out a small box. "Merry Christmas, Babe."

Lori gasped as she grabbed the box from his hands. It had her name written on the front, and was wrapped in blue ribbon. She looked up at him.

"Go on, open it," he said.

She pulled off the ribbon, and lifted the lid off the box. Inside, was a necklace with a gold chain. There was a small charm that formed a heart. Inside of it were two small gems, an aquamarine and a sapphire. It had their names written out underneath them.

She looked up at him. "Oh Bobby…you literally didn't have to get me anything," Lori said, wiping her a small tear from her eye.

"I know, but I  _wanted_ to," he said, grabbing the necklace from the box. "It's both of our birthstones." He motioned for her to turn around. She did, and he began to put the necklace around her neck. "And then, when the baby is born, we can add another charm to it."

Lori grabbed the charm in her hand, and looked down at it. "I love it," she said. "I think it's literally one of the best gifts you've given me."

Bobby smiled. "You're welcome," he said. "I'm glad you love it."

Just then, Lola came over.

" _Looooooriiiiii_ ," she wailed.

Lori looked up. "What is it, Lola?"

Lola held up her new tiara. "I want to wear my new tiara, but I can't get it right. Can you help me?"

"Sure, Lola," Lori said, patting the floor in front of her.

Lola sat down. "Thank you so much, Lori," she said. "I think my hair is too big."

Lori brushed Lola's hair down with fingers, and slowly slid the tiara on her head like a headband. Lola felt her head with her hands, and smiled.

She got up and turned to Lori. "Oh, I love it! Thank you!", she said, bouncing up and down. She stopped, and noticed the chain around Lori's neck. She gasped. "Oooh that's so pretty," she said. "Where did you get it?"

Lori smiled at her. "Bobby got it for me," she told her. "Right before you came over here."

Bobby jumped when he noticed Lola jumping into his lap. "Bobby, since you're giving out jewelry, and I love jewelry, can I have some too?", she asked, giving him puppy eyes.

Lori laughed, and shook her head, while Bobby's mouth came open a bit. "Uhhh how about next Christmas?", he said. "Is that okay, Little Princess?"

Lola sighed. "Yes, I guess so," she said. "Normally, I'd go into a fit of rage, but it's Christmas."

Bobby patted her on the back. "Good," he looked over to see that Lana was waving her hands. "Now, I think your sister wants you to play."

Lola nodded, and got up to go play with Lana.

Bobby turned around to see Lori laughing still. "Aw come on, it's not  _that_  funny."

Lori put her hand over her mouth. "It kind of is," she said. "It's nice to see that they've all really taken a liking to you, though."

He raised a brow. "They didn't like me before?"

Lori shook her hands in front of her face. "No, no, they did," she said. "It's just, I think they're just really getting used to you, now."

"Oh, well I'm glad," he said. "I hope I can become good friends with all of them one day," he looked at her. "Ya know, like you are with Ronnie Anne."

"Yeah, I hope so too," Lori said. "Speaking of Ronnie Anne, have you talked to her today?"

He nodded. "She's excited to see us today," he said.

Lori smiled. "Good, I'm excited to see her, too."

Everyone turned their heads, as there was a knock at the door.

Lori began to get up. "Oh, I'll get it," she said, reaching for Bobby to help her.

She put a hand on her side, and walked toward to door. Stood before her, was her grandfather, also known as Pop Pop, and his girlfriend, Myrtle.

"Merry Christmas, Lori," Pop Pop said, holding out his arms.

She gave him a hug. "Merry Christmas to you, too."

They released, and he looked down at her stomach. "Well, look at you," he said. "You'll be ready to pop soon, huh?"

She laughed. "I wish, I still have eighteen weeks left, and I literally already feel like a whale."

"Oh, but you're still so pretty," Myrtle said.

"Thanks, Gran Gran," Lori said. "Come on in, Dad is almost done with the food." She motioned for them to come inside.

They were greeted by the rest of the kids giving them hugs. "Merry Christmas, kids," Pop Pop said, patting Lincoln on the head.

"Oh, Gran Gran!", Lana said. "I've gotta show you what I got!"

Lola bumped her out of the way. "No, I get to show her first!"

Lisa jumped in. "I believe I get to show her my gifts before you two."

The other kids started jumping in, and soon they were all arguing about who gets to show Myrtle their presents first.

Rita got her blowhorn. The kids covered their ears, and looked over at their mother. "Kids, please!", she said. "They will be here all day. You all have plenty of time to show them what you got."

Lily crawled over to Myrtle, and she picked her up. "Oh yes, I'd love to look at all the lovely things you kids got from Santa."

"Actually, we got these from M- ", Lisa tried to say something, but Luna covered her mouth.

"Come on, Gran Gran," Luna said. "We'll show you everything."

Myrtle smiled, and followed them to the couch.

Lori turned to Bobby. "Guess we'd better get dressed, huh?"

He nodded, and they headed upstairs.

* * *

A little later, Bobby and Lori came downstairs, clad in their warm winter clothes.

Pop Pop and Myrtle, who were still on the couch with the other siblings, turned to look at them.

"Where are you guys headed?", Pop Pop asked.

"We're heading to Great Lakes City to visit my family," Bobby said.

"Here ya go, Lori"

Lori turned around to see her father standing there with a plate covered in tin foil.

"This is for the road," Lynn Sr. said. "It's a long trip, and I know you must be hungry."

She grabbed the plate from his hands. "Thanks, Dad," she said. "The baby and I appreciate it."

They waved goodbye as they headed for the door.

"You two be careful," Pop Pop yelled after them. "You're carrying precious cargo, ya know."

"Don't worry, we will," Lori said.

With that, they got into Bobby's car and headed for the city.

* * *

After three hours, one plate of food, and four pit stops, Lori and Bobby finally made it to Great Lakes City.

Bobby parked his car out front. He got out, and went around to Lori's side to let her out.

She reached her hand out, and he grabbed it, pulling her out of her seat. She yelped as she almost tripped.

"Careful, Babe," Bobby said, helping her stay steady.

She put her hand up. "I'm fine," she said. "Thanks."

He kissed her cheek. "Of course," he said. "I'll go get our bags."

Bobby headed to the trunk of the car, while Lori headed up to the front door.

She rang the door bell a couple times, and a few minutes later, it opened.

"Lori! You made it!", she was greeted by a hug from Carlota. "Merry Christmas."

Lori hugged her back. "Merry Christmas to you too," she said.

Carlota leaned back. "Let me get a look at you," she said. "Aw, your belly is so cute."

Lori put her hand on her hip. "It sure doesn't feel cute," she said. "I literally can't fit into any of my favorite clothes anymore."

Carlota put a finger to her chin. "Oh! I have to show you something," she said, grabbing Lori's hand and dragging her inside. They headed to the elevator. "I just know you'll love it."

Once they made it to the top, Carlota led Lori to her room. Once inside, she motioned for Lori to sit on the bed, and Carlota went over to her closet.

"I've been working on some things for you," Carlota said as she shuffled through her closet. "I know how being pregnant makes it hard for you to find clothes you love, so…" She stepped out, holding a pile of clothes in her hands. "With a bit of help from Bobby, and Ronnie Anne too, your own custom line of maternity clothes, handmade by me."

She sat the pile of clothes on the floor in front of Lori.

Lori picked up a few pieces of clothing. "Wow Carlota," she said, in awe. "You literally didn't have to do this."

"I know, but I  _wanted_ to," Carlota said. "You're basically my cousin, so of course I had to do something for you."

Lori smiled. "Thanks so much," she stood up. "Now can I try some on or what?"

Carlota moved her hands down. "Uh yeah! That's why I brought you up here," she grabbed some clothes from the pile. "I think we should start with this one." She held up a pair of blue jogging pants a hoodie. "Wouldn't want you to catch a cold."

Lori slipped off her pants, and put on the pair of jogging pants. She then slipped the hoodie over her shirt. Carlota handed her a pair of uggs to go with it. Once she had everything on, she stood up and walked over to the mirror.

Carlota put her hands on Lori's shoulder as she stood behind her. "You look great!", she said. "So comfy, and stylish."

Lori looked at herself up and down. Sure, they weren't the  _cutest_  clothes she has ever worn, but pregnancy wasn't meant to look good. The hoodie was warm, and it actually hid her belly pretty well since it was pretty loose. The pants were stretchy around the waist so she'd never have to worry about having to button them.

Carlota jumped back. "So? What do you think?"

Lori turned around to face her. "They're really nice," she said. "Thanks, Carlota."

Carlota hugged her. "You're welcome, Lori," she said. "I know we don't get to talk much, but I care about you so much. And little baby Santiago."

Lori hugged her back, and closed her eyes.

Bobby came in, but stopped when he saw his cousin and girlfriend. He leaned on the doorway, and smiled at the scene.

They pulled away, and Lori smiled when she saw Bobby. "Hey Boo Boo Bear," she said.

Carlota turned around. "Oh, hey Bobby!", she walked over to him. "Check out your girl."

Bobby looked at Lori. "She looks amazing," he turned to Carlota. "You did a good job on those."

She flipped her hair. "Of course I did, cuz," she said. "But I'm glad you love them too."

Bobby walked up to Lori and slipped his hand in hers. "I think you  _always_  look amazing, though," he said softly.

Lori felt her face burn, and she squeezed his hand, giggling in delight. "Oh stop it, Boo Boo Bear."

"I mean it," he said. "Now come on and see everyone else for a bit."

The three of them headed out into the living room, where some of the family was sitting around watching the television.

They looked over as the group came into view.

"Aw, look at you two," said Frida. She pulled out her camera. "Let me take a picture."

Bobby and Lori looked at each other. Usually they'd run off or cover their faces when Aunt Frida wanted to go crazy with her camera. This time though, why not have some fun?

Lori put her arm behind Bobby's back, and he put his arm around her waist. She stuck her other hand in the pocket of her jacket, while he put his on her belly.

Frida smiled and put the camera up to her face. "Perfecto," she said, making a circle with her fingers. "Now smile you two."

The couple smiled as she snapped a few photos. Once she was finished, Frida turned the camera around to view the pictures. "Oh my goodness these are so cute," she said, motioning for them to come over and look. Lori and Bobby walked over to her, and she turned the camera towards them.

Lori felt her heart jump when she looked at them. She and Bobby always took lots of pictures, but there was something special and different about these.

Frida grabbed her camera back and began to walk to another room. "I'll go and print these out, that way you can keep them forever," she said.

Lori felt someone tug on her jacket. She looked over to see CJ standing there.

"Oh, hi CJ," she said.

CJ had a big smile on his face, like always. "You look pretty today, Lori," he said. "Bobby is a lucky guy."

Lori put her hand on her chest. "Aw, you're so sweet CJ," she said.

He looked at her stomach. "How is the baby?", he asked.

"The baby is good," she said. "They're getting really big."

"That's good, I can't wait," he said. He looked up at her. "Can I touch the baby?" He pointed at her belly.

Her face became soft. "Of course."

CJ reached a hand out and touched Lori's belly. He jumped when he felt it move.

She laughed. "Did you feel that too?"

"I did," he said. "That baby is funny."

She patted his head. "They sure are," she said.

They heard the door open, and Ronnie Anne stepped inside.

"Oh, hey Ronnie Anne," Lori said, waving.

Ronnie Anne looked over, and waved back.

Bobby looked over at CJ. "Hey buddy, do you wanna play pirates?"

CJ's face lit up, and he grabbed his pirate hat from the table. "I thought you'd never ask."

As he and Bobby ran around the room with their rubber swords, Lori went over to Ronnie Anne.

"Merry Christmas," Lori said.

Ronnie Anne sat at the table. "Merry Christmas," she said, slightly monotone. She had her head down, looking at her lap.

Lori raised a brow. "Is everything okay?", she asked.

Ronnie Anne looked up at her, cracking a half smile. "Yeah, I'm just a bit tired is all."

Lori sighed and sat down with her. "Ronnie Anne, I live in a house with ten siblings. I know how to tell when someone is not happy," she told her, putting a hand over Ronnie Anne's. "If you need something, I'm here to listen."

Ronnie Anne looked up at her and shrugged her shoulders. "Okay."

"Look what I have!", Frida said as she came back into the room. She walked over to Lori and handed her a small stack of photos. "Aren't they wonderful?"

Lori flipped through them. A smile grew on her face as she looked at herself and Bobby doing various poses.

As she flipped through them, she began to realize why these felt so different than their other photos. Usually, they'd take selfies. These pictures however, they were taken by someone else.

There was something so neat about having someone else take your photo. It's like they can capture aspects of you that can't be shown in a selfie.

Each picture had one thing in common though: her baby bump. She realized that she hadn't really documented her pregnancy like you would think. Other teen moms her age would take belly pictures every month, showcasing how much their baby has grown.

Sure, every once in awhile she'd post a selfie, or a picture of her belly. For the most part though, she kept it to herself. These were the kinds of mementos that she wanted to keep forever.

One day, her child can look at these pictures and see just how happy their parents were, and always have been.

"Oh, is something wrong, Lori?"

Lori looked up to see Frida and Carlota looking at her with worried looks on their faces. She brought her hand up to her face, and felt a wetness.

She had been crying and didn't even realize it.

She wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "Yeah, I'm fine," she told them. "I think it's these crazy pregnancy hormones."

Carlota reached out to hug her. "It's okay," she said. "Those pictures are super cute though."

Ronnie Anne sighed, and got up to go to her room. She was stopped by Rosa coming out of the kitchen.

"Uh uh uh, Ronalda," she said. "The food is almost ready, and you need to eat."

Ronnie Anne sighed again, and took her seat back at the table.

Lori looked at her, and Ronnie Anne turned away. Lori bit her lip. She reached out and put a hand on her back.

"Is everything okay, Ronnie?"

"Yeah…I'm fine," Ronnie Anne responded.

Lori took her hand back, and turned back to face the front.

"Oh, Lori"

She turned around to see Rosa standing there with a plate of food.

"You get to eat first, I know you must be so hungry," she said.

Lori's eyes widened as the plate was laid out in front of her. She turned to look at Rosa. "I'm actually trying really hard to watch my weight, but it's hard when you're always around good food."

Rosa patted her on the back. "That's good you're looking out for yourself, but you also have another person who needs to eat. So, don't worry about gaining too much weight."

Lori smiled. "Thanks Rosa, it all looks so good."

Bobby came over and sat next to her. "Where's mine, Abuela?"

She hit him on the head. "You have to get your own plate," Rosa said. "You should eat a lot too, that way Lori doesn't feel so bad."

Bobby laughed. "I'll be back, Babe.

He got up and headed into the kitchen.

Soon, the rest of the family came out with their own plate, and sat around the table.

"Hey, Lori"

Lori looked up from her food to see Carlota trying to get her attention.

"I've been thinking…and you totally can say no, but," she began. "I'd love to plan your baby shower. That is if it's okay with you."

Lori thought for a moment. "Hmm, well my sister Leni was really wanting to do it too," she said. "So, maybe you two could get together and do it? You're family too, after all."

Carlota shook her fists in the air and squealed. "I'd love that! I've heard so many things about your sisters, and I'd  _love_  to meet them." She said, turning to Ronnie Anne. "What about you, Ronnie Anne? Do you want to help too? You'd get to see Lincoln~".

Ronnie Anne looked up. "Sure, maybe it'll be fun."

"So it's settled then! Hey, can I have Leni's number after dinner?", Carlota asked. "I want to get this started ASAP."

"Sure, though you may have to explain who you are a few times," Lori explained.

"Gotcha."

Ronnie Anne scraped her plate with her fork.

"Ronalda, are you okay?", her mother asked.

Ronnie Anne looked up. "Yeah, I'm just tired," she said. "May I be excused please?"

Maria sighed. "Sure, honey."

Ronnie Anne got up from the table and headed to her room.

Lori turned around and watched as Ronnie Anne walked down the hall. She had her head down, and was dragging her feet slightly.

She sighed, and turned back around. She looked over at Bobby, who simply shrugged his shoulders.

So much for Happy Holidays.

* * *

Later that night, when everyone was getting ready for bed, Lori made her way to Ronnie Anne's room.

The light was still on, and she could see shadows moving at the bottom of the door.

Instead of barging in, she simply knocked on the door.

"Who it is?", she heard Ronnie Anne ask from the other side.

"It's me, Lori."

"Come in."

Lori opened the door. Ronnie Anne was laying in her bed, her computer on her stomach.

Lori shut the door behind her, and walked over to the bed.

Ronnie Anne didn't look up at her. She sighed. "Look, Ronnie Anne," she began.

Ronnie Anne still kept her eyes on her computer.

"I know you're upset about something, and if it has anything to do with me, I want you to be honest with me," Lori continued.

Ronnie Anne moved her eyes towards her, and sighed. She closed her computer, and sat up. "Yeah, you're right," she said. "I just didn't want to say anything because it's kind of stupid and I didn't want to make you or Bobby upset."

Lori sat at her feet. "You know your feelings are important, too," she told her.

Ronnie Anne sighed. "Promise you won't be mad?"

Lori nodded.

"Okay, I guess I'm just not as excited for the baby as everyone else is," she started. "I mean, I was when you guys first told me, but now I'm not so sure."

"I think…I don't know. Everything has just changed so fast," she continued. "I want to be excited too, but I can't be and it makes me mad at myself."

"Bobby moved away from us because he cares so much about you and the baby, and I guess sometimes I feel left out." Her voice started to break. "I don't want to make it seem like I hate you, or the baby because I don't, I really don't."

Lori put a hand on her shoulder. "You feel like everything is changing and you're having trouble accepting it?"

Ronnie Anne nodded. "Yeah, I think that's it. Though, sometimes I think awful things, like saying the baby is a mistake and I hate it." Tears started running down her face. "I love Bobby, I love you, and I love the baby, I just don't know why I feel like this."

Lori hugged her. "It's okay to be uncertain about things," she said. "But no matter what happens, I'm not taking Bobby away from you, and neither is the baby. I want to make sure you get to be in their life just as much as my siblings are."

"Sometimes things just happen, and we have no control over it," Lori continued. "I didn't ask to get pregnant, but I am and I've learned to deal with it." She pulled away to look at Ronnie Anne in the eyes. "It's times like this when you need to know that there are people who love and care about you."

Ronnie Anne wiped her eyes. "You're right, and I'm sorry," she said. "I care about you too. You make Bobby so happy."

"And he makes me happy," Lori said with a smile. "Not to mention I have a little brother who is literally the cutest."

Ronnie Anne felt her face get hot. "Hehe, yeah."

Lori laughed. "I'm glad we had this talk. Feel any better?"

Ronnie Anne nodded. "Yeah, I do," she said. "Thanks, Lori."

Lori patted her on the head. "No problem," she said. "Love you."

Ronnie Anne looked surprised. "Love you too."

Lori began to get up. "Now get some sleep," she told her. "Maybe you and I can do something tomorrow."

Ronnie Anne nodded. "Yeah, I hope so."

Lori opened the door, and turned out the lights. "Good night, Ronnie Anne."

Ronnie Anne got under covers. "Good night, Lori."

Lori headed down the hall to where she and Bobby were staying.

She laughed when she saw he was already asleep, his butt sticking up in the air. She put a hand on her belly, and looked down at it. "This is your dad," she said. "Maybe you'll be like him too. Who knows."

She climbed into bed next to him, and kissed him on the cheek. "Love you, Boo Boo Bear," she said, before falling asleep herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys probably know by now that Lori's pregnancy is getting close to the end. Don't worry though, there are still a few chapters left and plenty of story left to tell. Until next time!


	13. Baby Showers and Babies

**Saturday, February 10**

**30 weeks and 0 days**

* * *

Thirty weeks pregnant. That was quite the milestone of a journey that seems to take forever. Though with only ten weeks left to go, this is a sign it will soon come to an end.

By now, the baby is done developing. They're just chilling in the uterus, gaining weight, and preparing for the impending birth.

It's also a good time for the soon to be parents to start preparing all of theirs, as well as baby's things. Most parents would be preparing a room, getting the diaper bag ready, and packing for the hospital.

Lori Loud was already prepared for the most part, what with her family making a small nursery in her and Leni's room, as well as giving her and Bobby their own "apartment".

Still though, their baby still needed a lot of things. Today was a day she and her sisters had been looking forward to for the past month.

It was her baby shower.

Lori looked through her closet, trying to find something she'd look presentable in. She was practically a "walking belly" by now.

A small pile of clothes lay on the floor, as she would throw out any she didn't want to wear.

"Hmm," she said, pulling out a green blouse. "What about this one?"

She laid it over her, then quickly threw it into the pile. "Nope, too summery."

Sighing, the teen took a step back from the closet, looking at the remaining clothes on the hangers. All of which belonged to Leni.

To distract herself from her fashion dilemma, she decided to go and check out the party preparations.

"Hi Lori"

She turned to see Lincoln leaving his room, and walking over to her.

"Hey, Lincoln," she said, putting her hand on her back. "Are you excited for the party today?"

Her brother nodded. "Yeah, I've never really been to a baby shower before."

She laughed. Surprisingly, their mother never really had baby showers, other than when she was pregnant with Lori of course. They always liked to use the same baby stuff over again, and seeing as they almost always had girls, that worked smoothly.

"This'll be a new experience for you, huh?", the girl asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, also uh," he looked up at her. "Need some help?"

She held out her hand. "Sure," she replied.

He grabbed her hand, and they began to walk down the stairs.

For the last few weeks, Bobby or one of the siblings would offer to help Lori climb up and down the stairs. She was perfectly capable of doing it herself, but loved how they were all so willing to help her.

Once at the bottom, she spotted Leni and Carlota sitting on the couch.

"Okay, okay," Carlota started. "What if the pink streamers go over here," she pointed to a spot in the living room. "While the blue ones go over there."

Leni tapped her chin with her pen. "Ooh, great idea," she said. "So then the balloons and snack table can go over there."

Carlota wrote something down in her notebook. "I like the way you think, Leni."

Lori and Lincoln came up to them. "How is the party planning going?"

Without looking up from her notebook, Carlota answered. "It's great! We've already sent Luan and Lana to pick up some games, Luna is in charge of music, Lynn and Lola are in the kitchen making snacks, Lucy and Lisa will be welcoming guests, and Lily is being taken care of."

Lori nodded. "Wow, seems like you guys have it all under control."

Carlota looked up at her. "Yep, and Bobby should be back with the rest of our family soon so we can get this thing started."

Lincoln looked around, then started bouncing up and down. "Hey, what can I do?"

Leni turned around to look at him. "I think we already have everything taken care of, sorry Linky."

He stopped bouncing. His face dropped as much as his shoulders. "It's okay, I guess I'll just go back to my room."

Before he could leave, Lori grabbed his shoulders. "Actually Linc," she said. "There is something you can help me with."

His eyes brightened. "Really? What is it?"

She grabbed his hand and led him to the stairs. "Come on."

* * *

Lori sat Lincoln on the edge of her bed. "Okay, what ya need, sis?"

She pointed to the pile of clothes laying in front of him. "I literally cannot find anything to wear, and it's frustrating me," she said, stomping her foot. "So, I thought maybe you could help me pick something out."

He stared at the pile of clothes laying in front of him. The various colors and designs almost made it look like a piece of art. He got down from the bed, getting on his knees. He began looking through the clothes, scratching his white hair as he tried to spot something.

Lincoln wasn't a fashion guru, but he knew his sisters. He knew what they liked, especially when it came to clothes. Lori and Leni both had similar fashion styles, making his decision somewhat difficult.

As he sorted through the clothing, he tried to think of what she might want.

_Hmm, it's cold outside so maybe she wants a sweater?_ , he thought to himself.  _Maybe some leggings, those are comfy_.

Finally, after sorting through everything for a good five minutes, he made his decision.

He picked up his clothing, and handed them to her.

Laying before her was a light blue sweater dress that went to her knees. He added plain black leggings and a pair of black boots to go with it.

"Wanna see me try it on?", she asked.

The boy nodded, and quickly turned around, closing his eyes as she got undressed.

"You can look now, Linky," she said.

He turned around, and smiled when he saw her.

"How do I look?", she asked, striking a pose.

"You look great," he said.

She moved her hands over her belly. "You think so?", she asked. "I like the way it shows off my bump."

He put his hand on her belly. "Yeah, it looks cute," he said. "I mean, this party is for them after all."

"You're right, and now it looks like they want to come and join everyone," she said, laughing. "Thanks for helping me, Lincoln."

"You're welcome, Lori," he said. "Oh, also would it be okay if I invite Clyde?"

She put a finger up to her chin. "Depends, does he still have a crush on me?"

He put his hands behind his back, and tilted his head. "Wellll, kinda," he started. "When I told him about you being pregnant, he didn't take it well."

She raised a brow.

"But we talked about it, and I told him how excited I am to be an uncle, and he said that he supports me, and you too," He continued. "I don't think he's 100 percent okay with it, but he knows not to be disrespectful."

That's true, Clyde was always such a sweet, polite boy. It was his crush on Lori that made everyone avoid him when he came over.

"Hmm, if that's the case, then sure, he can come," she said. "Just make sure he behaves."

He nodded. "I will," he said, heading for the door. "Thanks, Lori."

"You're welcome, Lincoln," she said, before leaving the room herself.

Time to go see how everything is going.

* * *

"I wanna do it!", Lana yelled as she reached up for the bowl.

Luan grabbed the bowl from the microwave, and shook her head. "Uh uh, Lana, remember what Mom said?"

The six year old pouted and crossed her arms. "Aw, come on, I only got a second degree burn," she said.

The comedienne grabbed a spoon, stirring up the melted chocolate. "I know it was because you were in the  _heat of the moment_ ," she took a moment to laugh. "But seriously, I don't want you getting hurt, so  _I_ will be the one handling this part." She then pointed to the box of diapers laying on the table. "Why don't you go and lay out a bunch of those diapers, okay?"

Lana sighed. "Fine, but only if I get to put one on Charles." She looked over at the family dog, who was now hiding under the table.

She began to walk towards him. "Aw, come on buddy, it'll be fun. You'll never have to go outside ever again."

Charles backed away further, whining.

"Doggy!", Lily babbled as she crawled into the room, reaching her hands out for the dog. Before she could though, her face turned red and a fart sound could be heard. "Poo poo."

A foul stench soon filled the room, causing Lana to hold her nose. "Looks like Lily might need one, too."

Back in the kitchen, Luan was bumped out of the way, causing her to almost spill the chocolate. She turned around to see Lynn standing there. "Hey watch where you're going, Lynn!"

"Sorry, sis, but I gotta have the microwave," Lynn said, grabbing her own bowl and putting it in the microwave. "This dip isn't going to warm itself."

"Hmm, well just be careful next time," said Luan. "This is for one of our games." She pointed to the bowl in her hands.

"Ooh, are we doing the old "poop" diaper game?", her sister asked.

Luan nodded. "Yeah, it was Lana's idea," she said. "What are you making?"

Hearing the microwave go off, Lynn opened it and grabbed her bowl. "I made my signature spicy bean and cheese dip."

"Let's hope it's not  _too_  spicy, Lori has been having a lot of heartburn lately, remember?"

The sporty teen stuck her finger in the dip. "Ah, well I'm sure everyone else will enjoy it." She licked her finger off, leaving a small trail of spit between her finger and mouth.

"Eww, Lynn put that away," Lola said as she came over to her sisters.

"What do you have, Lola?", Luan asked.

"I made something simple, but is a  _total_  party pleaser." She held up a medium sized oven pan. "It's pigs in a blanket."

"Mmm it smells good in here," Luna said as she walked into the kitchen. She looked at Lola. "Need some help with that, Lols? You know how the 'rents are about you little ones using the oven."

The six year old handed it to her. "Yes, please," she said. "I do not want to risk burning my gloves off, again."

"I gotcha, sis," the rocker said as she grabbed the pan from her sister and placed it in the oven. "There we go, let me know when the timer goes off, I'll be up in my room finishing up this rad playlist."

"Speaking of "rad"," said a voice.

The girls jumped as Lucy appeared in the room.

"Lucy, please stop doing that!", Lynn said.

"Sorry, sisters," Lucy said. "But, I thought I'd let you know we have an early guest."

"Who?", Luna asked.

Suddenly, there was a pair of hands covering her eyes.

"Guess who?"

Luna gasped in excitement. "Sammy!"

She turned around to see Sam with her arms outstretched. The two shared a hug, and Luna spoke. "I'm so glad you could make it."

"I didn't plan on missing this, I love baby showers!", Sam said. "Especially when my girlfriend is going to be an aunt."

They separated, holding each other's hands. "You arrived at a good time too," Luna said. "Wanna come and help me pick out some tunes?"

The blonde girl's eyes lit up. "Of course!

They went upstairs, holding hands as they walked.

"Aw, that's so cute," Lola said.

Luan turned to her. "Hey, you know I just had a thought."

Her sisters leaned in closer. "We're listening," they said, in unison.

"We've already got Lori and Bobby, now Luna and Sam, so you know who is next?"

"Lucy and Rocky?", Lola asked. She smiled when she saw Lucy blush from the corner of her eye.

"Well, they are cute, but no…I was thinking more like," she paused. "Lincoln and Ronnie Anne."

Her sisters looked at her, smiles on their faces. "Ooh, you're right, sis," Lynn said. "Maybe today is their day, too."

"Should we mention this to our other sisters?", Lucy asked.

Luan shook her head. "No, they're all too busy. Let's just let this be  _our_  thing for today."

* * *

It was almost Noon, and everyone was busy putting the finishing touches on everything for the party.

All of the streamers and balloons were hung, there was a table filled with snacks, the couch had been moved to make room for more chairs, and there was music playing.

Lori stood at the top of the steps, watching the door.

Bobby still hadn't came back yet, but she wasn't worried. His family liked to run late, just like hers.

"Hey, Lori," Lincoln said as he came to stand next to her. "Are you excited?"

She nodded. "Yeah, now I'm just waiting for everyone to arrive."

"Who did you invite?", he asked.

She put her finger on her chin. "Let's see…Carlota and Sam are already here…then I invited Whitney, Becky, Nicole, all of the Casagrande ladies," she said said. "Oh, and what did Clyde say?"

"He said he'd love to come, though he may have to step out every once in awhile."

She waved her hand down. "Hey, that's fine, just as long as I don't get any blood on my shoes," she motioned to her feet. "Then we're good."

Her brother laughed. "Got it, I'll watch him," he said. "Oh, also there was something else I wanted to ask."

She turned to him. "What is it?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "You know how Ronnie Anne is coming over?"

She nodded. "You mean your  _girlfriend_?"

The boy's face turned red. "She is  **not**  my girlfriend!", he exclaimed.

She laughed, and rubbed his hair. "I know, I know. I'm just teasing."

He sighed. "Anyway, I always spend the night at her house, so do you think that maybe she can stay over for a couple days?"

"Oh, I think that's a great idea!", Lori said. "Have you talked to her about it?"

"Not yet, I wanted to ask her at the party," he said. "I just wanted to see what you thought first."

"I'm sure Mom and Dad won't mind," she told him.

"Thanks, Lori"

"Hey! Stinkoln! Can you come and help us with all of this food?", Lynn yelled from the living room.

"Well, that's my cue," he said before heading down the stairs. "Be careful, sis."

She shook her head. "Don't worry about me, go on."

Lincoln went to help his sisters, and there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it!", Lori said as she went down the stairs.

She opened the door to see Clyde standing there. He jumped back when he saw her belly poking out at him.

"Oh h-hi, Lori," he said.

"Hey, Clyde," she said. "Glad you could make it."

"Yeah, I really love parties, and hanging out with Lincoln," he said. "I also want to apologize for all the times I passed out, and bled on your shoes, and for all the stuff I said about Bobby."

Lori crossed her arms. "Thanks for that, I appreciate it." She motioned with her arms. "Why don't you come in now."

She stepped aside so that he could enter the house.

"Oh, congratulations to you, too," he said.

"Thanks, Clyde," she said as she closed the door.

She smiled as she watched him walk over to Lincoln, who gave the boy a hug.

"Hey Babe!"

She turned to see Bobby standing in the doorway, his arms outstretched.

"Boo Boo Bear!", she hugged him back. "What literally took you so long?"

He wiped the sweat from his forehead. "You know how families are," he said. "They always have to go back and get something, you have to stop for pee breaks."

She stepped back. "Well, I'm just glad you guys made it okay."

"Me too," he said as he stepped inside. "Ooh is that pigs in a blanket?"

As Bobby went to get food, Lori greeted each of his family members as they entered.

"Oh, Lori!"

She felt Frida wrap her arms around her neck. "Look how big you are," Frida said. "It won't be much longer now."

Lori hugged her back. "Hi, Frida," she said. "And nope, I can't wait to get rid of it either."

"Hey, Mom!", Carlota yelled from the other side of the room.

"Aww, look at mi hija. She helped plan this party all by herself," she began to tear up. "They grow up so fast."

Lori pointed to a table next to her. "The tissues are over there."

Next, Rosa walked in, carrying a large bowl.

"I thought you guys might need some more food, I know what it's like to cook for a lot of people," she sat the bowl on the table next to Lori. "I made my famous queso."

"Oh, that's great," Lori said. "Thanks, Rosa."

"Ronalda, get in here," Maria said as she walked up to the door. "Hi Lori, I'm glad we could make it."

"I'm glad you guys could too," she looked out the door. "Is Ronnie Anne coming?"

Maria nodded. "Yeah, she'll be here in a bit. She's got the presents."

Ronnie Anne walked up to the door carrying a pile of gifts, almost falling over from the weight.

"I'm here, Mom," she said, out of breath. "Can someone help me? Please?"

"Hang on, sis," Bobby said, grabbing half of the pile. "Let's go put these over there."

The two struggled as they walked over to the already large pile of presents, and sat them down. As Ronnie Anne sat hers down, she looked over to see Lincoln waving at her.

She smiled, her buckteeth showing, and waved back.

Luan and Lynn took notice of this, and stopped what they were doing. They whispered something to each other, and went back to their work.

Soon, the rest of the guests arrived. Whitney and Becky came together, and Myrtle decided to come as well.

As Lori shut the door, she frowned as she noticed someone was missing.

Nicole, her new friend, had failed to show up.  _Maybe she's just late,_ Lori thought to herself.  _I'll call her later._

She walked to the center of the room, and clapped her hands.

"Hey, everyone! Thank you so much for being here with us today to celebrate this new life Bobby and I are bringing into the world," she said. "It wouldn't have been possible without my sister Leni, and Bobby's cousin, Carlota," she gestured to them. Everyone clapped, while the girls waved.

"Before we get started on presents though, we do have a game for the kids to play," she gestured for Luan to come over.

Luan gave her a diaper that was full of something.

Lori held it up. "Inside this diaper is a melted chocolate bar," she said while everyone laughed. "We have enough for everyone, and they are all the same so don't worry. Whoever guesses it first gets a prize."

"Do you know what kind it is, Lori?", Lincoln asked.

She shook her head. "Nope, only Luan and Lana do, which is why they aren't allowed to answer."

The two girls groaned, and put their heads down.

"However, you guys will still get a prize just for helping out."

The girls lifted their heads up and squealed.

Lori handed out a diaper to each other kids and teens who attended. When she got around to Lana she handed her one.

"I know you wanted to eat it, so there ya go," she said.

Lana grabbed the diaper from her hands and began licking it. "Thanks Lori!", she said, her mouth full.

Lola looked at her, disgusted. "Eww, Lana," she said as she grabbed her diaper from Lori.

Her twin looked at her with a chocolate covered face. "It's good, sis."

Lola rolled her eyes and looked at the diaper in front of her. She knew it was chocolate, but the sight of it still made her wrinkle her nose. "This game is weird," she said. "Why do we have to sniff a  _diaper_?"

"Would you rather inhale the defecation of our youngest sibling?", Lisa asked.

"Wha?"

She sighed. "Would you rather sniff one of Lily's diapers?"

Lola made a disgusted face. "On second thought, this chocolate looks delicious!"

"Hmm, I wanna say this is a Simper's," Clyde said, inhaling the diaper. "Or maybe it's a Twist."

Lincoln also sniffed his. "I'm with you on that, buddy."

Just then, Lynn walked over. "Hey, Clyde, do you mind moving to a different seat?"

"But I wanna sit next to Lincoln," he said.

"Oh, you can," she pointed to the floor in front of him. "This seat is reserved for someone special."

"Who could be more special than-"

He turned to see who Lynn was pointing at. It was Ronnie Anne, who was coming down the stairs.

Clyde looked back at her. "Oh…I see," he said, dropping his shoulders a bit. "Well at least I'm still next to him."

He got out of his seat, and moved in front of Lincoln's legs.

Lincoln raised a brow. "Hey, what're you…?"

Lynn waved her hand. "Yo, Ronnie!"

The Latina looked at her, and walked over.

"Lincoln says he wants you to sit next to him?" Lynn said, patting the seat.

"Oh, did he?", Ronnie Anne asked, looking at Lincoln.

He shook his head, while his sister nodded. "Yep, this seat is just for you."

She took her seat. "Thanks," she said. She looked over at the diaper Lincoln was holding. "Ew, what kind of game is this?"

He held it up to her. "This isn't what you think," he laughed. "It's chocolate."

"Really? Let me see," she grabbed it from him, and took a lick of it. "Oh, it is."

He shook his head. "Yeah, but we're not supposed to-"

"Why don't you give it a try?", she asked as she held it up to him.

He looked nervously at it, then grabbed it from her. Holding it to his face, he took a lick as well. "Oh, that's good," he said, licking the chocolate off of his face. "You were right Clyde."

From the other side of the room, Luan and Lynn laughed. Their plan had worked.

"Did you see that?!", Lynn exclaimed. "They licked the same chocolate!"

"If only it had been a Hershey's  _kiss_ ," Luan elbowed her.

Lynn was too excited to roll her eyes.

"Hey you two!", Carlota said. "You're not supposed to eat it, so neither of you get anything."

The kids put their heads down. "Aww," they said in unison.

Lori clapped her hands. "Okay guys, time's up," she said. "What bar do you think it is?"

Leni raised her hand. "Um, this doesn't look like it has beer in it," she held up her diaper.

Lori pinched the bridge of her nose. "No, Leni it's not-just you know what, never mind," she said. "That was a good try, but not the right answer." She looked around the room. "Anyone else?"

Sam held up her hand. "Is it a Simper's?"

"Yes!", Lori said, jumping up and down slightly. "Come on up and get your prize!"

The blonde walked up to Lori, who handed her a bouquet of candy, and a Burpin Burger gift card.

She sat back down next to Luna, and waved the card at her. "You, me, lunch tomorrow," she said, grabbing her hand. "I'm buying."

Luna squeezed her hand. "Aw, that's so sweet," she kissed her cheek.

Lori picked up two more jars of candy. "Luan, Lana, come here."

The girls walked up and grabbed their own prizes.

"Eee! Bubblegum!", Lana squealed.

"I hope everyone had fun with that," Lori said, grabbing her own chair. "Because now it's time for me and Bobby to have some fun."

Bobby walked over and sat a bunch of gift bags in front of her.

Since no one knew whether the baby was a boy or girl, everyone chose to get presents that could be used for either one.

Everyone watched as she and Bobby opened up the many presents.

They received so many things they still needed, such as: a baby tub, a bouncy seat, a swing, a bassinet, lots of onesies and footies made of all different colors, a car seat, and lots and lots of diapers.

Lori wiped the tiny bit of sweat off of her forehead and she pushed aside everything she had received.

"Thank you guys so, so much for all of this," she said. "We're so thankful to have so many people who love our baby so much already."

As Bobby began to carry some of the stuff up to their room, Lincoln jumped up.

"Wait, Lori, you forgot one," he said.

She looked around, confused. "I don't see anymore."

Just then, Luna, Luan, and Lynn came in carrying a huge box.

They sat it in front of her.

"What is this?", she asked.

"Just open it, sis," Luna said.

The twins, and Lily came and sat around the box, and Bobby sat next to her.

The box was blue and pink, with a giant bow on top. There was a little card on it that read:

"To our niece/nephew, From your aunts and uncle"

She opened it, and was amazed by what she saw.

Inside, was a bunch of gifts. Blankets, stuffed animals, bottles, pacifiers.

Her siblings smiled as they watched her go through each individual gift.

Then, Lincoln spoke.

"We thought that instead of buying our own presents, we would make one together," he said.

"We all went to the store, and picked out something," Luna said. She picked up a CD full of lullabies. "I picked this one out."

Luan pulled out some sock puppets. "I got these," she said, hugging them. "They're just like the ones I used to play with when I was little."

"I picked out these Ace Savvy onesies," Lincoln said. "I hope maybe he or she will like him as much as I do."

"I made you this totes cute nursing blanket," Leni said, holding it up. "Though, I didn't know you were a nurse."

Lori felt her eyes begin to tear up. "Guys…this is  _beyond_  what I was expecting to receive today," she said, wiping her eyes. She looked over at Bobby, who also had tears in his eyes. "Aww, Boo Boo Bear."

He sniffled. "I think it's finally hitting me that I'm gonna be a dad soon," he said. "And that our baby is so lucky to have so many people who love them."

"Gaga," Lily said, lifting up her arms.

Lori grabbed her, and sat her in her lap. The baby reached into the box and grabbed out a stuffed monkey. She put it up to Lori's chest.

"Oh, is this for the baby?", she asked her baby sister. Lily nodded, and she received a kiss on the head. "Aw, thank you, Lily."

Ronnie Anne smiled at the scene, and walked up to Lori.

She reached into the box, and pulled out a small set of pajamas, one with purple flowers, and another that said "Too Cool", and had a skateboard on it.

"I know that I'm not your sister, but I am the baby's aunt, too," she said. "Lincoln asked me if I wanted to buy something for the box, and of course I had to."

Lori reached out to hug her. "Thank you, Ronnie Anne," she said.

Then, all of her siblings hugged her, as well as Bobby.

"We love you, Lori," Lincoln said.

"I love you, too," she managed to choke out in between sobs.

Once she pulled herself together, they released. The younger siblings continued to show Lori the presents they got her, while the others went off to do their own things.

Lincoln made his way to Ronnie Anne.

"Hey, Ronnie," he said sweetly.

"Hey, Lame-o," she said. "What's up?"

"Heh, well I actually had something I wanted to ask you," he began.

A few gasps could be heard, as his sisters turned to look at him.

"Omg, is he like gonna ask what I think he's gonna ask," Leni whispered.

Lincoln looked at his sisters, his face as red as Lynn's shirt.

"Seriously guys?!," he said, annoyed. "I just wanted to ask her if she wants to have a sleepover."

An "Aww", could be heard from all of them.

"Sorry, Linky," Lola said. The others followed her lead and apologized as well.

He turned back to look at Ronnie Anne, who was blushing as well. "I'd love to spend the night, that is if it's okay with my mom," she looked over at Maria.

She waved her hand down. "Go ahead, there's a bag of your things in the car."

Ronnie Anne smiled, and ran out to the car. Lincoln looked over at Clyde, who was frowning a bit.

"Aw, hey buddy, do you wanna come too?"

Clyde's face brightened. "Of course! I'll call my dads and ask them to bring us some popcorn!"

Lincoln watched as his friend ran outside. He turned to look at the box again, full of goodies. He wondered if maybe, one day, he'd have another buddy to hang out with.

Maybe.

* * *

Having big families who love you is always great. There's always so many hugs to go around, and you never feel alone.

The only downside is that you always get more gifts than you know what to do with.

Leni opened the door to her room, and it seemed to be stuck. She pushed on it, only for it to move a tiny bit.

"Lori! Our door is broke!", she yelled.

"No, it's not Leni," Lori said from inside. She heard footsteps come close to the door. "Bobby, can you move that so Leni can get in?"

She heard something move, and the door came open. "Oh, what are you guys doing? Is the baby gonna be sleeping in here?"

"For the first few months, yeah," her older sister said. "I talked to Mom and Dad and we all decided to keep the baby here for awhile. Then, once Bobby and I feel that it's okay, we'll move out to the garage."

Leni scratched her head. "So, where do I sleep?"

Lori pointed at her bed. "You can still sleep in here, unless of course you'd rather sleep in the garage."

The blonde shook her head. "No thank you," she said. "Though, if you guys need help, I'm good at organizing and decorating."

Bobby handed her a pile of clothes. "Thank goodness," he said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "I could use it."

They spent the next few minutes organizing, and putting away the baby's clothes.

_Bzzt bzzt_

Lori reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone.

It was a text that read:

_Hey Lori, it's Nicole. Sorry I wasn't able to make it to your baby shower today. I was actually occupied with something else. I'm at the hospital, come and see me._

She gasped, causing Leni and Bobby to look at her. "Everything okay, Babe?", he asked.

"Yeah, I need to go to the hospital," she said.

Bobby dropped the clothes in his hand, and ran over to her. "Are you okay?", he said, frantic. "Here, let me grab your stuff."

Before he could panic any longer, she grabbed his hands. "No, no, I'm fine," she said. "It's because of Nicole, she had her baby."

His expression softened. "Oh! That's great!", he said. "Do you want me to take you?"

She shook her head. "That's sweet of you, but I think you should stay here and help Leni," she said. "Besides, I won't be able to drive much longer, may as well take advantage."

"Oh, okay," Bobby said, squeezing her hands. "Just be careful."

She kissed his cheek. "I know, I will be," she said. "I am carrying precious cargo after all."

"That you are," he said, placing a hand on her stomach.

She gave him a glance before she turned to leave. "Make sure Leni is okay," she told him. "She's gotten tangled up in blankets before while trying to fold them."

He laughed. "Will do, see ya."

She waved as she closed the door behind her.

* * *

"Hi, I'm here to see Nicole," Lori said as she leaned against the reception desk.

"She's in room thirteen, right down the hall."

"Thank you," she said.

Being in the maternity ward was strange to the teenager now, as this is where she'd be in the next few weeks.

She walked past the nursery, where there were a few babies being tended to. Down the other hall, she could hear someone screaming from giving birth.

It sent a shiver down her spine.

She finally made it to the room. There was a curtain covering the entrance, and she slowly pushed it out of the way.

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw her friend, laying there with a small, pink bundle in her arms.

"Hey," she whispered.

Nicole turned to look at her, and smiled. "Hey, glad you could make it."

She stepped closer to the bed. "Of course," she said. "I couldn't miss it."

The baby began to fuss a bit, so she rocked her. "Shh, it's okay," she soothed." She turned the baby around, so that Lori could see her face.

She had slightly tan skin, and the cutest button nose. Her hair was chestnut, almost red. She had her eyes opened slightly, still trying to keep them away from the bright, blinding lights of the hospital room.

"This is Olivia," Nicole said. "Isn't she precious?"

Lori nodded. "Yeah, she is."

"I am so sorry I didn't let you know I wasn't going to make it to your party," Nicole said. "I went into labor, and it was so sudden. I wasn't able to think, or really do much."

She waved her hand down. "Don't even worry about it. I mean it," Lori told her. "This is way more important than my party."

Nicole looked back at her baby. "Yeah, I know," she said. "I did get you a present, maybe you can come by my house sometime and get it."

"Yeah, I can."

"Good," she moved the baby towards her. "Do you wanna hold her?"

"Oh, of course," Lori said. The baby was placed in her arms, and it was like the world stopped for a second.

Lori has held many newborns over the years. Her mom had a new baby every year or so, and holding one was no big deal to her. Though this time, standing there, holding her new friend's baby, it just felt so…different.

She moved the blanket away a bit, revealing Olivia's little hands. She was so soft, and felt like holding a small sack of flour. Lori put her finger near her hand, allowing the baby to grasp it.

"Aw, she really likes you," Nicole said.

Lori sniffled, her eyes becoming watery. "Yeah, she does," she said. "And I like her, too."

"Tissue?"

She looked over to see Nicole handing her a wad of tissues. "I've already went through a box since she's been born," she said.

Lori gladly accepted them, and used her free hand to wipe her eyes. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Nicole said. She laid back and put her hands above her head. "Ya know, there's no feeling like it."

"You come in, so scared because you have this thing that's gonna rip you open. All the pain, all the sleep you lose. You're tired, you're angry. You want nothing more than some pain medicine and a ton of food."

"But when they lay that baby on your chest, and you hear their little cry, none of that matters anymore." She took a moment to grab another tissue. "All you can think about is this fragile human that you carried inside of you for nine months."

"It's not about me anymore, it's about her now."

Lori grabbed another tissue, and wiped her eyes. She looked down at the little bundle in her arms. The sleeping infant was so small, so fragile, so weak.

Nicole's words left her with feelings she didn't know how to describe. The thought that she would soon experience the same thing, was both terrifying and exciting.

In just a few weeks, she'd be here in this exact spot, holding her own bundle of joy in her arms.

She took one last look at the baby in her arms, and whispered:

"You're perfect."


	14. Happy Birthday, Lori

**Wednesday, March 28**

**36 weeks and 4 days**

* * *

Lori was awoken by the smell of vanilla, with a hint of cinnamon. She felt the bed next to her, and frowned slightly when Bobby was nowhere to be found. Her body ached from the weight of her swollen abdomen. Her baby moving around, kicking her from the inside.

She stirred as she felt the familiar sensation in her pelvis. Her bladder full, she slowly sat up. All the weight shifting to her lower half.

The girl rubbed her eyes. She could already hear her siblings outside of her room, pounding on the bathroom door. It was a pleasant surprise, to see a small notecard sitting on her bedside table.

She picked it up, and smiled as she read its contents.

_Good morning, Babe. I wanted to be the first one to wish you a happy birthday. You were sleeping so peacefully, and I know it's hard for you to get that recently. I didn't want to wake you. I'm downstairs hanging out with your siblings, I'll be up to check on you soon. Love, Bobby._

His note was enough to make her heart skip a beat. It also distracted her from the task at hand: Listening to Mother Nature.

She used her hands to push herself off of her bed. In the last few months, it had become more difficult to walk. Her baby had dropped a week or so ago, so now she had to waddle. She made it over to her door, and opened it to reveal Lola, Lynn, Lincoln, and Luna standing in front of the bathroom.

They turned to look at her.

"Good morning, Lori," each of them said.

"Good morning, guys," she replied. "Already fighting for the bathroom I see."

"Yeah, Leni has been in there for almost half an hour," Lincon said, putting a hand on his hip.

Lori sighed. "Let me go see."

Her roommate was known to waste time in the bathroom. She'd get distracted by reorganizing the soaps, or mess up and have to redo her smoky eye.

She poked her head inside the bathroom, to see Leni folding a towel. She tried her hardest not to roll her eyes. "Leni!", she yelled as she stepped inside.

Her sister's sudden outburst caused Leni to drop the towel she was folding. She turned around to see Lori standing there. "Lori! You scared me," she said, readjusting the sunglasses on her head.

"Leni, there are other people out here who need to use the bathroom, too," Lori told her. "Including me. I have a baby sitting on my bladder."

The ditzy girl twisted her foot around on the floor. "Oh…I'm sorry," she said. "I guess I'll come back later and fix these."

"Sounds good," Lori said.

The girls stepped out of the bathroom.

"There we go, problem solved," she said while rubbing her hands together. She took a look at her siblings. "Sorry to do this guys, but I'm cutting in front of all of you."

They began to complain.

"Uh uh uh," she said wagging her finger. "I'm the oldest, it's my birthday, and I'm pregnant. Please just let me pee."

She closed the door in their faces, and they began to pound away. It was quickly ignored, as her main focus now was the feeling of sweet relief.

Lori pulled down her shorts and panties, and sat down on the toilet. She sighed as she felt her bladder emptying.

In the Loud house, there was always a fight for the bathroom, and even her being almost nine months pregnant didn't stop her siblings from rushing her morning business.

"Hey are you almost done?"

"Aw come on, I ate too much last night, and Mother Nature doesn't like it."

Ignoring her siblings' complaints once more, she reached for the roll of toilet paper.

"Hey guys, it's her birthday remember? And she's pregnant."

"Can she make her baby pee faster? I gotta go!"

She laughed at that last comment as she wiped herself. Though she stopped when something felt a bit…off.

She brought it up to look at it, and the wad of toilet paper was covered in mucus.

Not thinking much of it, she proceeded to throw it in the toilet, and flushed it. She grabbed the top of panties, then her shorts. As she stood up a bit, she felt a small pain in her pelvis.

Her eyes squinted at the feeling, but it soon went away, allowing her to finish pulling up her pants.

She walked over to the sink, washed her hands, and then placed her hand on the doorknob.

"Okay guys, I'm coming out," she said as she turned the knob, pushing the door open slightly.

"Finally!", Luna exclaimed as she ran into the bathroom. "Oh, and happy birthday, Lori."

Ah yes, her birthday. Her eighteenth birthday to be exact. It was say she had looked forward to for awhile. She had plans to go off to college, and live with her boyfriend.

That would have to wait, as she was expected to give birth in a month. She never would have thought this is how she'd enter the beginning of semi-adulthood, but it wasn't all bad.

Lori placed a hand on her back. "Thanks, Luna," she said. "Now if you'll excuse me, this baby is really pressing down on me today, so I need to sit."

She turned right and opened her door. Walking over to her bed, the pain came back, this time a bit stronger. It stopped her in her tracks, and she took a moment to breathe. It passed, allowing her to look at the gift that awaited her on her bed.

It was gift bag that had a small card that read:

_To: Lori_

_From: Leni_

With a heart written next to Leni's name.

She smiled as she sat down on her bed, leaning up against her pillow for support. Using her belly as a prop, she sat it down and reached her hand inside.

Inside was a blue shirt with ruffles on it, and a pair of white pants.

Setting the bag to the side, she laid the shirt on top of her. Her belly began to jump around, causing the shirt to slide off.

"You don't like it, baby?", she poked her stomach, receiving a kick to her hand.

This went on for a few minutes, until she heard the door open.

"Hey, Babe."

She looked over to see Bobby standing in the doorway.

He walked over to her, and gave her a kiss. "Happy Birthday."

She caressed his face. "Thanks, Boo Boo Bear."

Her boyfriend put a hand on her belly. "How's the baby, today?"

"Very, very active," she said. "Watch this."

She poked her stomach, and watched as it jumped.

Bobby laughed. "Oh wow," he poked it, and got a kick back as well. "Just wait until you eat some of that cake."

Her body didn't give her time to respond, as the sharp pain came back. She winced, and placed both hands on her stomach.

Bobby knelt down next to her, placing a hand on top of hers. "Oh no, is it time? Do we need to go to the hospital?" He became frantic.

"No, no," she said, breathing a bit heavy. "It's just a Braxton-Hicks." She pointed to the bottle of water next to her bed. "Can you hand me that?"

He gave it to her, and she took a few drinks. The pain subsided, and she sighed. "Thanks, Bobby."

Bobby rubbed her hair. "No problem, Lori." He stood back up and reached out a hand. "Your dad is making your cake and wants you to come try it."

She grabbed his hand, and he helped her stand up.

The couple headed downstairs, and Lori went in the kitchen. She stood in the doorway as she watched her father dance around, humming to himself.

She laughed, and he turned around. "Good morning, sweetie," he said, walking over to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Happy Birthday."

"Thanks, Dad," she said. "Where's that cake?"

He led her to the counter, where a large glass pan lay. "I'm making my famous cheesecake, strawberry to be exact because I know it's your favorite."

Lori's mouth watered as she stared at the bowl of leftover filling in front of her. She grabbed it, and swiped some up on her finger. The sweetness tickling her tongue as it hit her mouth. "Mmm," she sighed.

"I knew you'd love it," Lynn Sr said. He watched as her belly began to move again. "Apparently my grandbaby does too."

She looked down, and sure enough her baby was kicking away. "They've been doing that all morning," she told him. She placed the bowl back on the counter.

There it was again.

Letting out a small groan, she grabbed onto the counter. Her father looked at her, concerned as her face wrinkled up in pain.

"Are you alright?", he asked as he rubbed her back.

"I-I'm fine," she said. "I've been getting these since this morning."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "Where is it hurting?"

She placed her hand on the top of her pelvis. "Right here."

"I know this isn't what you want to hear today, but we may need to take you to the hospital," Lynn Sr said, growing more concerned. "I'll cancel the party."

She waved her hand. "No, I'm fine," Lori insisted. "I still want my party."

He sighed. "Lori, I've been through this ten times with your mother. I know how fast it can escalate, and if we wait too long, well," he paused. "Your baby may be born the way Lincoln was."

"Dad, please, I'm fine," she said, standing up straight. "They're not super strong, and the doctor said not to come in unless I can't handle the pain."

He stepped back. "Alright, I'll let is slide this time, but please let me know if it gets too bad."

"I will, don't worry."

"Go join your siblings at the table for breakfast," he said, going back to the cake. "I made French toast."

"Oh, thank goodness," she said, her mouth watering. "I'm so hungry."

She headed into the dining room, where the rest of her siblings, and Bobby were seated.

She chose a seat in between her boyfriend and Lily, who had already covered the top of her high chair tray in syrup.

The toddler was giggling happily as she splashed her hands in it.

Lori grabbed her hand. "Uh uh, Lily," she said, grabbing a small, plastic spork. "You need to eat with this."

Lily grabbed it from her. She inspected it a bit, using her hands to grip it at different angles. Finally, she used it to stab a piece of her toast, and shoveled it into her mouth.

"Aww, good girl, Lilster!", Luna said from her seat. She held up her hand to her baby sister. "High five!"

She happily slapped her big sister's hand, leaving a trail of sticky residue. Luna quickly grabbed a napkin and wiped it off.

They heard the door close, and turned to see their mom walking in the door. She came into the dining room, and kissed Lori's hair. "Happy Birthday, Lori," she said.

"Thanks, Mom," she responded. "Look at what I got Lily to do."

Rita turned to see Lily still using her spork. "Oh! Yay Lily!", she held up her hand to the toddler.

"Careful, Mom, you don't wanna end up in a sticky situation!", Luan said, laughing. "Get it?!"

The rest of her siblings groaned.

Rita gave Lily a high five anyway. "Mama! Mama!", she said, reaching out her hands.

Her mom wiped off her hands, and took her from her high chair. "I'll go get Lily cleaned up, and when you kids get done eating, you can come and help me set up, okay?"

The kids nodded and went back to their breakfast.

After she ate, Lori decided to go into the living room. Maybe if she propped her feet with an ice cold glass of water, this pain would go away.

She rested her head on the end of the couch, and Bobby walked in with a glass of water. "Here ya go, Babe," he said.

"Thanks," she said, grabbing it and taking a sip.

He sat next to her, and let her legs rest on top of his lap. Grabbing the remote, he turned on the latest episode of The Dream Boat. "Oh man, I've been waiting to watch this one."

"Me too," she said. "I hope Meredith finally sees that Blake isn't the right one for her."

He shook his head. "I doubt it, she seems to love him."

She nodded her head in agreement. "Tell me about it."

Through the episode, she hadn't noticed that she'd been rubbing her belly the entire time. It was like an instinct at this point.

Bobby smiled when he saw it, and placed his hand on top of hers. "I wanna do it too," he said.

Lori laid her head back. "When did your family say they'd get here?"

He took out his phone. "Uh…Ronnie Anne told me that they were leaving, about thirty minutes ago."

"So it'll still be awhile then," she said.

She watched as each of her siblings came downstairs carrying various objects, such as streamers and balloons. Each one heading to the door, presumably to help decorate.

"I love it that they want me to be surprised," Lori said to Bobby. "It's like everything in my life is literally a surprise now. One after the other."

He laughed. "Yeah, but it's kinda cool, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so," she said. "You know what else will be cool? When this baby finally leaves my body. It's so hard to move."

"Aww, I'm sorry," he said. "It won't be much longer."

She sighed. "Thank goodness, I'll be happy when I can finally put on my own shoes again."

They laughed. "I think it's about time we go get you ready, huh?"

She put her water on the table, and sat up. He grabbed her hands to help her stand, and led her upstairs.

* * *

Lincoln chewed on the lid of his pen as he looked through the checklist.

"Okay so, the streamers as up, we've got the balloons, the table, chairs," he looked around. "Where's the snacks?"

Lana walked in with a bag of chips in her hands. Her face was covered in powdered cheese. "I've got some cheesy puffs," she said with her mouthful.

He checked something off the list. "Why don't you put the rest of the bags on the table?"

The girl nodded and went on her way.

"How's it going, Linky?", Leni said, looking over his shoulder.

"It's going good, I've got Lana setting out the chips, Luan has the dip, and Luna is helping Mom wrap presents."

"Ooh, good," she said, patting him on the back. "You're a natural at this."

The boy smiled. "Thanks, I learned from the best."

Lori's birthday party may not have seemed very interesting, but there's not much to do when you're very pregnant. She'd have also liked to go out to eat with her friends and family, but sitting outside in the cool, spring air while eating cheesecake sounded pretty good to her right now. It was hard for her to move, or sleep, so she wanted something that was comfortable while still having fun with her family.

"Here it is!", Lynn Sr said as he entered the backyard, a large pan of cheesecake in his hands.

The kids watched as he sat it on the table. A few of them reached out their hands to touch it, which were immediately smacked away.

"No, guys come on," he said. "You know the rules, it's Lori's birthday, so she gets to eat some first."

"Speaking of Lori, where is she?", Lucy asked.

"I'm here!"

They looked to see a hand sticking out of a crack in the screen door.

"Help me, Bobby."

They heard a bit of a scuffle, and the door opened.

Lori stepped out onto the porch wearing the outfit Leni had gotten her. Her hair has been straightened slightly, and she was wearing a bit of lip gloss.

Leni clapped her hands, and jumped up and down. "You look so pretty, Lori!", she said, running up to hug her.

She hugged her sister back. "Thanks, Leni, I literally love it."

Bobby smiled, and then looked over to her Mom. "Oh, hey Mrs Loud," he said. "I've got something important to tell you."

She turned around, raising a brow. "What is it?"

"My family said that they'll be late, but I don't want Lori sitting out here for long," he grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. "So, if it's okay for her, we can have cake and snacks right now, then open presents when they get here."

Rita looked at her husband, who nodded. "Sounds good to me," he looked at his daughter. "What do you think?"

"That's fine," she said. "I know how these kids are with snacks." She pointed to her younger siblings, who all had a bag of chips.

"Kids, please," Lynn Sr said. "Save some for everyone else."

She laughed. "It's fine, Dad," she said, waving her hand down. "Chips give me heartburn anyway."

"Lori! Will you pour me a cup of cola?", Lana asked, holding up a cup.

"Sure." She walked over to the table, grabbing the bottle of cola. "Anyone else want some?"

Her siblings lined up, and she handed each of them a cup of cola.

"Cola!", Lily said, holding up her sippy.

Lori looked to her Mom. "Can she have some?"

"Well, it usually keeps her up late," she said. "But it is your party, so go for it."

Lori grabbed the cup from her baby sister's hands, filled it up with soda, and handed it to her. "There you go, baby."

The toddler happily stuck the cup in her mouth, toddling off to sit with her sisters.

Lori felt a pain in her back, causing her to lean against the table. She tried to stand up straight, placing a hand on her back. Her breathing heavy, she walked over to a seat, sitting down next to Bobby.

He frowned when he saw the pained expression on her face, and placed a hand around her shoulders. "Are you sure you're okay, Babe?", he asked.

"Y-Yeah, I'm okay," she said. "It's going away now."

"Okay, guys!"

They all turned to the front, where Luan was standing. "I have some fun tricks planned for you all! They're inspired by today's special guest, my big sister Lori. Happy Birthday!"

She smiled at her sister's gesture, and clapped her hands.

Luan took out a bag. "Just give me a minute to gather my things."

They watched as she fumbled around in her bag, pulling out various objects.

Lori was having a pretty good day already, despite her constant stomach issues. She enjoyed seeing her siblings spending time together, laughing, eating chips…

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden feeling of wetness…in her pants. She looked down to see a small puddle forming in her seat, a clear stain on her brand new pants.

Lola gasped as she saw the trail of liquid coming towards her on the ground. "Eww, Lana, did you pee out here again?" Her twin responded by shaking her head.

"N-No, Lola, that wasn't Lana," Lori said, her voice shaky. "T-That was me."

Her siblings turned to look at her.

"And that wasn't pee," she said. She stood up, holding her stomach.

"I think my water just broke."

There were multiple gasps, and she felt Bobby grab her.

She turned to him. His eyes were wide, there was sweat on his forehead, and his hands were shaky.

"Y-You're sure it did?", he asked, his voice shaky.

She grabbed his hand. "Yes, Bobby, I mean it when I say that this baby wants to come  _now_."

He lifted her up, holding her bridal style. "Then let's go have a baby!"

He began to run out to his car, her siblings following closely behind. They were stopped by Lori as they made their way to into the kitchen.

"Okay guys, you all need to stay here with Mom and Dad and help clean this up," she said, trying to catch her breath. "Meet us at the hospital when you're done."

"But Lori-", Lincoln began.

"No, buts," she said. "We'll call when we get there."

Leni gave her sister a hug. "Good luck, Lori," she said.

The other siblings joined in, giving their well wishes.

Their parents caught up to them, joining in on the hug as well.

They pulled away, and Lori spoke. "Mom, I want you to come with us."

She rubbed her daughter's hair. "I'd love nothing more."

Bobby turned to Lincoln. "Hey little buddy, will you text Ronnie Anne and tell her what's going on?"

The boy nodded, quickly taking out his phone. "On it."

Lynn Sr stepped back. "Alright kids you heard her, let's get this all cleaned…"

He looked outside to see his kids frantically putting everything away. Bags of chips flying in the air, cups of soda getting spilled.

"Don't touch the cake!", he said, yelling after them. "We'll see ya soon, kiddos, good luck," he said before heading out to the backyard.

Lincoln gave his sister one last hug. "Good luck, sis," he said, kissing her cheek. "You'll do great."

She smiled, rubbing his hair. "Thanks little bro." She turned back to Bobby. "Well, come on."

"Let's go have a baby."


End file.
